The World's Verse
by QueenAU
Summary: Ally finds herself engaged to Austin, the Moon King who conquered most of the world. He could marry anyone, but he wants her only because of her powers. He is as ruthless and cold as the rumors say, but Ally soon sees that is not entirely true. Can she change him back to himself? And will they overlook their differences and survive against rising enemies? ooc
1. Chapter 1

A girl, with a bag slung over her shoulder, stood in front of the King's castle. She took the sight of it in, and then proceeded to go towards the doors. Two palace guards eyed her warily as she approached.

"Please state your name, title, and reason for coming here," one of the guards said when she was close enough.

The girl threw back the hood of her cloak back, revealing her face. She introduced herself with unwavering confidence. "I am Ally, Princess of Dawson. I've traveled here to marry your King."

_"The King of the Moon Kingdom sent us a letter," Ally's mother told Ally and her sisters gravely. "He has asked for one of you to be his bride and in return, our country will remain independent."_

_Ally and her sisters gaped at the Dawson queen in bewilderment. They couldn't believe their ears. The ruthless Moon King had conquered most of the world-all of the lands known to man, and he decided to leave their small country alone? Why spare the Dawson Kingdom, of all places?_

_"What?"_

_"This is so stupid!"_

_"You've got to be kidding me!"_

_Outbursts from all of the princesses filled the room. The queen hushed them, and continued explaining. "Whoever goes shall be the Moon Queen. For the sake of our country, one of you will have to go."_

_"But," Ally interrupted, "why us?"_

_Ally's mother shook her head. "I do not know, I'm afraid."_

_Now that the initial shock was over, the girls started to fear for themselves. Everyone knew that the Moon King had dominated every country in just two years since he was crowned, so what kind of person was he? Ally knew without a doubt that he would be a cruel, cold-hearted that she would never love. Her throat closed up at the thought of being married to someone she didn't love._

_Her younger sisters' eyes were filled with panic and fear. Ally loved all of her sisters, and she couldn't imagine them leading such a miserable life. Alana had a crush on someone already, and Alice was secretly going out with someone. Marrying the king would be a terrible future._

_But for the sake of her country and her sisters, she would do it._

_"I'll go."_

Ally kept her eyes forward, and walked with steady steps. She was the picture of calm on the outside, but internally, she was a mess. Although she knew what she was doing here, she couldn't help but feel nervous. However, she was also glad that her sisters did not have to endure this. It was better that it was her, and not them.

The butler leading her to the King stopped at a set of elaborate doors. He opened them and gestured for her to enter. The room was as fancy as the doors. A detailed, long carpet led to a figure sitting in the throne. Shadows shrouded the King from Ally's view, but she would see him when she got close enough. Her gaze flickered to the empty throne next to him. She gulped at the thought that it was for her.

'This is it,' she thought, kneeling down before the king but keeping her eyes down. 'This is my fate.'

"Thank you for coming from such a long way, Princess Ally of Dawson." The king greeted her.

Ally's eyes widened as she heard the voice. Why was it so...youthful? She looked up to see the King sitting before her, looking like her age. He was just a teenager!

The king smirked down at her. "I am Austin, King of the Moon Kingdom."

'What?!" The exclamation came out without a thought.

King Austin studied her in curiosity. "Is something the matter?"

"Perhaps she is tired from her long journey," replied the butler.

"Regardless," the monarch shrugged, "you're still a Dawson, and I will get what I want anyway. Princess Ally, I've heard of your family's special abilities to bend the laws of nature by singing. Controlling the land has bored me, so of course, I now desire the skies."

Ally was still in denial that this was the king. He was far too young to be in charge of the whole world. He wore a young face and body, but his eyes...they were almost dead. There was no life in them, and Ally could tell that rarely did they contain happiness. Only when he mentioned her powers did his eyes glint cruelly.

"How dare you," Ally finally spat out, "you bring me all the way out here, because you want to use my powers? You think people are just _things_, don't you?"

"Sometimes."

And then the princess sprang up and got in his face. "My abilities are not a toy. The _world_ is not something to play with! You don't belong on that throne."

The King Austin just looked at her coolly, then he grinned in amusement. "I admire your bravery, speaking up against me. But you've disrespected me." He looked away from her and waved at his guards. "Throw her into a cell in the dungeons are something, maybe that will change her mind. I want to use your powers, and I always get what I want."

She allowed herself to be lead away while he didn't even give a glance in her direction, opting to gaze nonchalantly out a window.

* * *

Ally was fuming behind the bars of her prison. Sure, she defied him, but she was a guest -a princess- in his Kingdom! This king was truly cruel, just like in the rumors.

_I'll show him the abilities of the Dawsons._ She thought bitterly.

When the guards were distracted, she sat in the darkest corner of the cell. Closing her eyes, she focused on her surroundings and listened to nature. She was far from the outside, so the wind was scarce. But it would only take a little bit to get what she wanted. The princess sang odd words under her breath as a breeze swept into the cell and sliced the bars of the small window above her.

She grinned in triumph at the now open window. Quickly, she climbed on top of the bed and crawled through the window to the outside.

* * *

The King of the Moon Kingdom let out a sigh. The papers in front of him were finally done. It was not hard for him to solve the economic problems-no, it was easy. Too easy. This sort of thing was what made him the king of the world. From war to trading treaties, everything was just a puzzle for him to easily complete.

Something was irking him. Despite his outer appearance earlier that day, the princess from Dawson had struck a chord.

Did he really deserve this throne?

He frowned to himself. _Of course I do. She just doesn't know what I have been through._

Now that he thought back, he felt a deep sense of regret from his actions. His council was going to give him hell for putting her in a cell, not to mention the Dawson Kingdom. All of his advisers had been tirelessly pushing for him to marry. It was a royalty thing he never understood even now. He didn't feel like marrying because he had to or for political reasons. Sure, the endless lines of nobles fighting to get a dance with him during balls was irritating, but he wouldn't want to be with another person for the rest of his life just for convenience.

When the council told him about the magical Kingdom of Dawson, he was intrigued. Austin wasn't so much interested in marrying the princess than seeing her work her magic. The political side of things could be easily dealt with if they didn't get along. She could have just left, and he'll continue hearing the endless tirade from his council. Any chance of them maybe just being friends? Annihilated thanks to him. He will have to arrange for a ship to take her home tomorrow.

After a lengthy apology.

"You sure messed that one up." Austin murmured to himself.

"You definitely did, Your Highness." A voice called from behind him.

Austin whipped around to see Ally crouching on the window frame, wind blowing the curtains and her hair. Her eyes were filled with anger that sent chills down his spine.

_She used her powers?..._He thought before she murmured some melodic word, and he found himself pinned to his desk by an invisible force. The king tried to stand up, but even with all his strength, failed to do so.

"You messed with the wrong princess." 


	2. Chapter 2

"You messed with the wrong princess."

The almighty king found himself being bound to his desk by the princess, even though she was casually perched on the windowsill.

"Everything would have been much easier if you just showed me your powers. It can't be that hard to call down the rain or something. Unless," he paused for a mockingly dramatic effect, "you can't do it?"

Ally felt her eye twitch in irritation. "Of course I can do it. I just won't do it for you. It's not some neat parlor trick! Controlling the skies-calling the rain, moving the clouds...it's a ritual that takes preparation."

"I can arrange that for you." Strangely, a funny image of Ally chanting in a dark room with a bubbling cauldron popped into his mind. "Whatever materials you have in mind, I can easily get it."

"No, it's not like that."

"Then what do you need?"

Ally looked out the window into the starry night. "I don't need 'materials'. The ingredients I need are experiences and feelings. Before I do anything big like making it rain, I need to feel connected to this land, and really feel the beauty of the surrounding world. The song I sing to bring forth the rain needs to be arranged by me. I arrange the song by taking inspiration from the land's climate, land, and scenery. They affect the basic melody and rhyme. But first the one who desires the rain, in this case, you," she looked at him dead in the eyes, "have to show me, the caster of the spell, the beauty of the Moon Kingdom. Do you actually want to see?"

She doubted he wanted to go through all that effort. However, Austin held his ground. A genuine determination lit up his hazel eyes. She did not know, but he had more than a simple impulse as reason to want to see her use her powers. Ally was slightly taken back by the intense conviction he radiated.

_Is he taking this seriously?_

The king nodded thoughtfully, still holding her gaze. He could see it in her eyes that this was very important to her. "I understand. There's a garden in east of the castle, we-"

"Your Majesty!" The same butler burst through the room's doors, with some guards behind him. "the princess has..." He trailed off as his eyes landed on the very princess he was speaking of.

King Austin pointed at Ally. "Not escaped. Anyway, Sebastian, please escort her to her room that was arranged for her originally. I'll see you in the morning, Princess Ally. I am willing offer anything that'll aid your powers, but it is your choice in the end whether you'll allow me to witness your abilities. A ship is ready at anytime after the sun rises should you choose to decline. My apologies for my behavior today."

While the princess headed to her bedroom more puzzled than ever, Sebastian handed the king a letter. "A report from Lord Dez," he said, "apparently the enemy's forces have been acting up lately. I assume he is informing you to be more careful."

Austin sighed. "Why do they bother to rebel? Thank you, Sebastian."

Ally woke up to the the slamming of doors and enthusiastic voices.

"Good morning, Princess Ally!" The maids sang in unison. They introduced themselves briefly before moving towards different areas of the room. "We're here to get you ready for your day. You'll be having breakfast with His Majesty, and then taking a stroll through the west garden."

One maid, named Marilyn, took out a dress and laid it on the bed Ally was still sitting on. "Would this dress be suitable, princess?" she asked politely.

"Yes, it's fine. Thank you," Ally replied, finally getting out of the extremely soft bed.

One glance at the dress told her that yes, it was very different from what she normally wore. This dress was for true royalty. The Kingdom of Dawson was small, and not as rich as the Moon Kingdom. Sure, she did occasionally wear something nicer for an event, but her country did not have the means for such things as luxurious as the Moon Kingdom's. The elaborate bedroom she was given was proof of that. She was not surprised either, as the Moon Kingdom was the richest of all countries since Austin took the throne and made the country thrive.

The king was confusing. He was the same age as her, yet he had the tired, dead eyes of a much older person. How he managed to take control of all of the countries was beyond her. Austin seemed smart, but he was so _young_. How did he become like this?

The maids helped her get into the beautiful dress, and did her hair. Once that was all done, she was led to a dining room of sorts. The king sat at the head of the table laden with breakfast food. Ally took a seat at the other end. "Morning," she greeted.

"Morning."

They began to eat their food, with nothing but the clink of silverware and plates filling the silence. The food was delicious, of course. Ally looked through the large window to her left, and saw the clear blue sky stretched out before her. Not a single cloud marred the heavens. She could see the city down below too, but she could only see the rooftops of buildings. Maybe she could go explore the city sometime.

"Have you been to the Moon Kingdom before?" The king finally broke the silence.

Ally turned her attention to him to see that his was entirely on her. "No, I haven't."

"Well, what's your first impression of it?"

"It's...different. Everything is so dry here, and it feels like a desert with all this sunshine. You should consider renaming your country to Sun Kingdom."

The corners of King Austin's lips turned up. "I think Moon Kingdom sounds better, but you're right. We actually don't get any rain here. The irrigation systems bring water to the farms and the city, so we don't really need rain. However, I would like to personally see rain myself."

"You've never seen rain before?" The princess couldn't imagine it. The Dawson Kingdom gets a lot of rainfall, especially with their singing that makes it rain.

"Not a drop."

The frank honesty of his statement made it clear why he wanted to see her powers so much.

The two continued to make small talk until their plates were cleared. Since Ally came from such an isolated country, she didn't get a lot of news. This opportunity for knowledge was not wasted. She learned more about the Moon Kingdom in those few minutes than in the dusty books of her castle's library. Austin could be agreeable when he tried, it seemed.

Royalty was royalty, after all. After the breakfast, Austin offered to show her one of his gardens. Desiring all sorts of knowledge, Ally couldn't help but agree.

"These are beautiful!" Ally exclaimed in delight as she crouched down to take a closer look at the flowers. The climate and vegetation of their countries were unique too. Never have she seen such yellow but gold like petals.

Austin and Ally had come to the gardens promptly after their plates were taken away. As soon as the gardens came into view, Ally had sped off in curiosity. She loved the world, and nature fascinated her. Austin trailed behind with Sebastian the butler, taking his time to get to the gardens.

"I suppose," he said, "but flowers are still just flowers."

Ally turned around to look up at him. "What?"

The king remained impassive as he inspected the flowers. "Flowers are just flowers. What's so amazing about it?"

"You..." the princess looked at him sadly, "even though you conquered the world, you don't appreciated it. What a waste."

_What a waste._

Austin waved away Sebastian. "Yes, they might have looked more beautiful a long time ago. But you must understand, that certain circumstances have made me not enjoy their beauty as much, and that's just how it is."

She looked at him and saw nothing but truthfulness. Why does she feel so sad when she looked in those lifeless eyes? The princess stared at him for a long time before speaking.

"Will you please try, just for me, to see the beauty in nature today?"

The king saw the hope in her eyes, and couldn't help but appease her. "Alright."

Ally smiled brightly. "Great. Hey, look at those trees! Aren't those apples?"

The princess was too careless as she ran towards the fruit laden trees, and fell into a pond below. Soaking wet, she emerged from the pond grumpily. She heard a weird sound and raised her head to see Austin laughing. It was like a loud roar, and Austin was clutching at his stomach in laughter. Sebastian ran back to them at the commotion and was flabbergasted at the sight, but then he smiled.

_Maybe_, Ally thought, _this guy's not completely cold hearted_.

King Austin composed himself and offered her his hand. "I am so sorry, but you are quite...clumsy." The humor lacing his face said otherwise.

"And you're just so gullible," she replied, grabbed his hand, and pulled him into the pond too.

She cackled at the sight of the usually dignified monarch soaked to the bone. He gave her a mock glare, and then joined in her laughter.

As the laughter died down, she cleared her throat. "I think I'll remain here a while and see the sights. Not everyday I get to come to the Sun Kingdom."

"Would you?" The king looked at her with slight disbelief.

"I think everyone should see the rain. " Ally smiled as he tried to hide his surprised joy. "As long as you don't throw me back into the dungeons, I'll see what I can do."

He scoffed then stared at her for a long moment, causing her heart to stutter in her chest. The king gave her a little smile and then spoke in a low voice. "Thank you."


	3. Chapter 3

_"Mother, what are you singing?" The young blonde asked._

_A child and his mother sat by the lake in the isolated gardens of the castle. They had been admiring nature and all its beauty. Away from the other nobles, they could be at peace. The blonde woman, who had been humming to herself, smiled gently at her son. "It's a song I learned from some friends a place far far away. When they sing it, it brings rain down from the sky."_

_He cocked his head to the side, puzzled. "What's rain?"_

_"I haven't seen it," the mother looked wistfully across the lake, "but I've heard it's very beautiful. They look like drops of water and they fall from clouds in the sky."_

_"Do you want to see it?"_

_She grasped the hand of her son. "Yes, but it is quite dry here. I'm fine as long as you're here, Austin." The mother kissed Austin's forehead. "You are my blessed rain."  
_

* * *

After an exhilarating game with some kind of ball, the couple rested on one of the stone benches. Sebastian stood at a respectful distance while the couple caught their breath. Ally, although tired, had a huge smile on her face.

"That was so much fun!" She exclaimed.

"Sure," replied Austin, a grin threatening to break out onto his own face. Ally could see that cold facade breaking away with each second she spent with him. The king tried to be aloof, but Ally could see another version of him hiding away.

And she was determined to bring it out.

Austin and Ally gazed at the colourful flowers, and towering trees before them. "It's so beautiful."

She expected him to state that flowers were just flowers, and trees were just trees, but he just nodded. There was a softness in his expression, like he truly appreciated the garden. The king's eyes flickered to Ally's to see her looking intently at him. Instead of getting embarrassed, Ally maintained eye contact. She found herself getting lost in those eyes that were the colour of honey and gold at the same time. Her heart rate was accelerating with each passing moment she stared back at him.

Unbeknownst to her, Austin's heart was also beating faster than usual. He cleared his throat, looked away, and asked, "So do you want to go down to see the city later?"

"Are you asking me out on a date?"

Austin smirked. "You've forgotten you were literally sent here to marry me."

If she hadn't been born a princess, she would have flushed. But such arrangements happened again and again, so she was used to it. It wasn't as if they were forced to, as both parties had a choice, but rather like a suggestion.

"Sure." Ally turned her head to look away from Austin as she accepted his invitation. She ignored the latter remark.

She found the huge trees behind the stone bench they were sitting on fascinating while avoiding his gaze. The species of the trees was familiar to her, surprisingly. They had grown outside her bedroom window back at home, and it was comforting to see them. Her heart stopped for a split second when she caught sight of an odd glint in the leaves. It was the silver glint of metal, and she recognized that it was the tip of an arrowhead.

The world seemed to slow down as she saw it being aimed to her left and drawn back. Ally, without hesitating, pushed herself to her left, in range shooting range of the arrow. What had been meant for Austin embedded itself into her with a thwack.

She fell to the ground as Sebastian and the guards rushed over to form a protective circle around Austin and Ally. Austin had frozen in shock and horror with a haunted look in his widened eyes. He pressed his hands tightly on the wound.

"No," he whispered. Warm, red, liquid covered his fingers. Ally was bleeding profusely from the arrow, and scarlet was spreading on the fabric her light dress.

* * *

_Austin smiled up with innocence to his mother, who had her forehead on his. She returned a loving one back. They were in their ideal place, away from the eyes and whispers of the court. There was nobody here to hurt them, to laugh at them, or to sneer at them._

_But that peace was shattered when someone shot an arrow through his mother's heart._

_"Mother!" He screamed. She slumped on his small form, breathing heavily. Her tears mixed with the tears that streamed down Austin's face._

_She called his name as the light slowly faded from her eyes. "Austin..."_

_"No," he whispered. "Please...!"  
_

* * *

"The princess has fallen to a fever. Her wound was not fatal, but she will be bed ridden for a while. The best medicine of all countries is being given to her at the moment. The culprit has escaped; we believe they were from the enemy, but there's no proof," Sebastian reported to his king, "Your Majesty, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, don't worry. Thanks to this, I've remembered something very important." King Austin turned around with a steeled look in his eyes. It was filled with both fury and calm, but at the same time, empty. Devoid of anything but hate. Anyone who looked at him now would believe the rumors of the king that ruled the world was cold-hearted and cold. He spat his next words out viciously. "The world is cruel. It's full of people who want to harm me, so I must destroy my enemies. My world is nothing like Ally's."

Sebastian bowed, nervous even though the king was younger than him. "Of course, Your Highness."

Austin turned back to look scornfully out the window. "You know my orders?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

* * *

A few days later, Ally was up and fighting to see the king. "I want to see him," she said, "I can walk, see? I'm fine!"

Her maids shook their heads. "No, you must stay in bed. These are the doctor's orders!"

"Screw the doctor's orders!" Ally groaned. She had been locked in her bedroom ever since she had been shot in her shoulder. Nothing deadly, but far to close to her chest where her heart was. The person she took an arrow for hadn't even visited! Ally sulkily hugged her pillow. "What has he been doing, anyway?"

"He's been busy holding hearings. The king is eliminating anyone suspicious of treason," replied one of her maids, "because of the assassination attempt, everyone is on high alert. Several people have already been stripped of their titles, seized of their land, among other things...He's really tightening his hold."

Ally furrowed her brows. 'What is he doing?' she thought, 'if he continues to do this, everyone will hate him!"

The doors opened and Sebastian stepped into Ally's room. Ally's mood perked up at the sight of him. "Thank god," she said, "Sebastian, I need to speak to Austin-"

"The king has given his orders," Sebastian interrupted, "you are to return home immediately."

"But-"

"Immediately." His voice softened. "I'm sorry, but those were my orders."

The carriage was prepared and the butler accompanied the princess on her way to the docks where a boat was waiting. Ally glared out the little window of the carriage, head in her hand. She mouth was drawn in a displeased frown. Sebastian noticed this.

"Why are you in such a bad mood? I believe you did not want to marry him."

Ally huffed in frustration. "It's not that-I'm mad that he just...divorced me like that! He didn't even say it to my face, he simply set me home. I don't want his thanks or anything, but shouldn't he at least explain to me why in person?"

They almost became friends. If they didn't end up doing the whole political marriage thing, she would have enjoyed hanging out and showing him her powers. Just when they were getting along, _this_ happened.

"I am sorry for his behaviour," Sebastian answered, "but His Majesty has trouble reaching out and communicating with others."

"What do you mean?" He was grumpy, but was more amiable today.

"Ever since he was a child, King Austin had been shunned by those who surround him except for his mother. His mother had been from a lower class and had married his father, who was one of the most powerful kings of that time-so many people disliked her. They stayed away from others by hiding in other places like the gardens. Unfortunately, she was assassinated in front of him when he was just seven years old."

Ally gaped at Sebastian. "Oh my god, I never knew..."

"After she passed away, King Austin rose up and eventually took the throne at the age of eighteen. He conquered most of the world and improved it in his rule, but many still hate him. It's a distraction for him, to forget. The fact that he is far younger than any other king, he defeated all opposing countries, and his mother is from a lower class makes many want him to take off his crown. He acts the way he acts to put up a shield."

At the end of his words, the carriage stopped. The butler was instantly alert. He told Ally to stay inside as he go out of the carriage. Ally did not follow his instructions and went out to see what was happening for herself, her mind still spinning from the information he had given her.

The driver of the carriage pointed to the castle. "My apologies, sir, but I noticed the castle was-"

"On fire," Ally breathed out in terror. A plume of smoke was coming from the castle, and when she squinted, she found that it was coming from Austin's study. "They're trying to kill him!" She took off running towards the fire, ignoring the cries from the butler and the driver.

She quietly sang a few words she made up on the go, and the wind picked up to bring her to the castle. As she willed for the winds to go faster, she worried for Austin.

* * *

**Suspense! Now we're getting to know more about Austin's past and it looks like Ally is using some of her powers. Drop me a review, maybe? I'm worried no one is actually reading this.**


	4. Chapter 4

Everyone at the castle panicked. The King's study and bedroom was an inferno, and they could not get on the third floor at all. Most people worried for King Austin's safety, but some hid smiles behind their hands. Meanwhile, Austin remained calm in his literally scorching hot room.

"They have some nerve, just setting my room on fire," he muttered to himself. Austin kicked at a panel in the lower wall, and it gave in. He moved the rectangle of wood away and crawled into the secret passageway. It eventually led to the top of a tower. From here, Austin could see the mass of people panicking.

'What do I do now...' he pondered. 'The flames will make their way up here eventually too.'

"Hey!" Someone shouted from below. "Do you hear something?"

"A song?"

"Look, up there!"

Austin followed everyone's line of sight to the person singing. His eyes widened when he caught sight of Ally standing on top of a tower opposite of him, with her arms spread out as if to hug the skies. She sang in a language he could not understand, but it was beautiful nonetheless. All of the people were drawn to her voice.

Clouds heavy with rain seemed to appear out of nowhere. Gasps of wonder came from the crowd as drops of water descended upon them. Austin was still frozen to his place, looking at the rain in shock. Eventually, his eyes softened and he closed his eyes, just feeling the rain soak him. Ally, still on the tower, raised her arms, and sang the final verse.

The rain then stopped, almost as soon as it had started. No clouds were seen, but the sun was back, glaring brightly. The king's eyes fluttered open to see a rainbow that arched perfectly over Ally.

"It's so bright..." He murmured, putting an arm over his eyes. Trickles of liquid trailed down his face, but it was not water.

"There you are!" The sound of Ally's voice jolted Austin from his daze. He had stayed there staring at the rainbow even after the fire had been gone. Ally regarded him with concern, checking for any damage. "You should have come down; we thought you died or something."

He didn't reply, still looking at the array of colours.

"Well, anyway, what did you think of your first rain?" Ally's eyes shone with excitement and expectation. Austin's lips almost twitched into a smile.

"It was awful," he teased, "my clothes are all wet, the rain tasted weird, and water is just water. But," Austin hesitated, "that bridge of light at the end is nice."

The princess was once again taken back when he said such heartfelt words. They had one of those long eye contacts, saying nothing until Austin looked away and spoke. "Why have you returned?"

Ally crossed her arms. "Is that what you say to someone who just saved your life? Twice. I just can't understand you at all." She huffed in frustration. "Fine, I'm leaving. At least you-"

"That's not what I meant."

She raised an eyebrow as he stepped closer, his face centimeters away from hers. "What I'm saying is, I hope you realize that by you doing something like that, it will be harder for me to say good bye now." It would cause him immense pain. His eyes flashed an emotion that Ally could not identify.

Austin could see her brown eyes studying his closely. Finally, she replied. "That's okay." She went on her tip toes to brush her lips against Austin's, who responded positively by leaning forward hesitantly. It was chaste, gentle, but spoke a thousand words. Ally grinned. "I'm not leaving you."

The kiss had caught Austin off guard, but he recovered and gave a smirk of his own. That infuriating, devilish smirk that made Ally's heart thunder in her chest. "Good," he said, "You make my world much more interesting."

* * *

The very next day, Ally woke up to the bright sunshine. She just couldn't get used to how strong it would be in the morning. Or the huge bed that was unnecessarily soft. She moved to get the sheets off of her, when she noticed the sheets wouldn't move, as if kept in place by a weight.

Her gaze turned to the left, and she shrieked in surprise. Austin had decided to sleep in her bed.

"You're so loud," he groaned. The king pushed himself into a sitting position, running a hand through his messy blond locks. Ally absentmindedly thought it looked good naturally tousled like that.

She shook her head, feeling her face. Did she drool while she was sleeping? Oh thank god, she didn't. "Hey, this is my bed!" Ally glanced over him and flushed. "And why are you naked?"

"It gets hot in the mornings with the sun."

"You don't see me in my birthday suit, do you?"

Austin shrugged. "You can start, I don't mind. I'm wearing pants right now, so get your mind out of the gutter. Plus, my room's been burnt to a crisp."

"Could have just asked me," Ally said, "I'm not mean enough to say no."

"Didn't want to wake you up," Austin shrugged on a jacket. "See you at breakfast?"

"See you." She waved half-halfheartedly.

* * *

"Good morning." She smiled as a servant placed a plate full of food in front of her.

"Good morning, did you have a restful night of sleep?"

She finished her bite and nodded. "Did you?"

"As well as I will ever be able to sleep." He paused. "Ally, there's a party that has been scheduled a couple days from now for your arrival."

"Oh." Parties weren't really her thing.

Austin nodded. "I wanted to ask if you want the celebration to be called off."

She understood the double meaning behind his words. Uncertainty swirled in her mind. In the end, she shrugged. "No, it's alright. It would be rude to cancel it. Besides, it's just a welcoming celebration."

If you ignored the fact that people assumed they were engaged.

The princess thought back to that day on top of the tower. How does he really feel? "Austin, about yesterday..."

"Don't worry about it." The king immediately got up and walked away to the door. He waved to her as the servants opened the door for him. "You're under no pressure to do anything just because of what happened. We were both caught up with the moment. Have a nice day."

Honestly, just when she thought he had let her through, he puts up his walls again.

And so Ally found herself spending her days having lessons on how to be a proper lady. Even if she wasn't engaged, she still had to adhere to the rigid mannerisms and hierarchy of the Moon Kingdom. There were long classes on etiquette. It annoyed her because she was raised very well, thank you very much.

She has always had a thirst for knowledge, but memorizing each ambassador and noble of each nation was tiring. Sebastian had defended her training by saying that she could not embarrass herself in front of any of these powerful people, and that her humiliation would be Austin's humiliation. So she just endured, and hoped that the day of the party would just come.

The princess had not seen Austin in days. He was always busy with his kingly duties, filling up that void in him. King Austin had a huge amount of meetings, he held an audience with anyone who wanted to speak to him, and he had to decide and sign many documents. She understood why he was busy, but she hadn't even seen him at breakfast. The idiot was probably skipping his meals and overworking himself.

She had made many friends with the servants, but she kind of missed him. There were no exact words to describe their relationship, but she felt like it could be called at least a friendship. Maybe it was for the best they had some time away from each other. They had a lot to think about.

What did they mean to each other? Was that kiss really nothing? Ally wouldn't be so brash to say they were in love, as they have only known each other for some days. There was something between them though. Small, but could grow very quickly. She felt like they both knew, and were scared.

Perhaps he was overworking to avoid her.

Ally hugged one of her pillows, sprawled across her bed, enjoying the few moments of peace she had in the morning while she could. She had been very tired when she retired to bed last night. Dancing took a lot out of her, surprisingly. She breathed in deeply, and was pleased to smell the sweet scent of flowers.

She got closer to the vase to admire the flowers of the Moon Kingdom. Different as they were, they were still a bit of nature in the confined castle. They brought memories of her home beyond these stone walls. There was no time to go to the gardens herself, so these were a wonderful substitute.

Her maids knocked and then allowed themselves in. "Good morning, Your Highness," they greeted.

"Morning," she said, "thank you again for all of the hard work you've done. Especially putting these different flowers here everyday." She lifted one and sniffed it happily.

They nodded, but then exchanged glances with each other. "Actually," started Marilyn, "we're not allowed to tell you, but those flowers were picked by His Majesty himself. He wanted to comfort you in your life away from home. The king does it in the spare moments in his busy schedule."

"Oh..." A small smile played on her lips.

It seemed that he remembered her, after all.

**Whoa! Thank you so much for all of your reviews! I've never received so many for one chapter and each and every one of them just made my life. Thank you :)**

**That being said, I believe I need to reply to some of them. I don't really PM, so I'll answer any questions after each chapter so that everyone can know if they want to too. I'll also comment on stuff maybe? I'm not quite sure but we'll work it out!**

**Q: Why did Austin send her back? Was it because he cares for her and doesn't want her to get hurt or that he realized he is falling for her and doesn't want to grow close to anyone again?**

**A: I think it is a combination of both. He certainly has grown to care for Ally, and realizes that with him, she has a high chance of getting hurt. Austin is hesitant to get attached to someone, because it's dangerous for them and he would not be able to stand losing anyone else. You may have noticed that he is sort of distancing himself from her. But I think we all know it's not going to stop him from falling ;)**

**Q: Can you update tomorrow?**

**A: Looks like I couldn't, oops! Sorry. I try to aim for an update about every four days or a week. I want to give you guys the best quality of chapters. If it's over a week, something probably came up. I apologize in advance!**

**Odd chapter, but I needed to end it or it would have been too long. Hope you found the length ok! Let me know what you thought maybe?**


	5. Chapter 5

"Sebastian!" Ally called. She had sneaked off from her lessons to try to find Austin. Her search in the endless castle was fruitless. She had ended up in the front gardens and spotted Sebastian. Hopefully his most trusted servant will know where he was. "Where is Austin?"

"His Majesty had just attended an inquiry committee meeting," replied Sebastian.

"This early?" It was currently eight in the morning.

The butler nodded. "He began his duties an hour ago, actually. And he'll likely continue to fulfill them until midnight. He rarely sleeps, and when he does, it's usually at his desk."

"He has a lot of responsibilities..." muttered the princess, "I know he's King, but he's going to work himself to death."

"Unfortunately, this is the way His Highness deals with his…troubles." The butler gave her a pointed look. "I'll see what I can do to get him out of his study."

"Ah, good morning Sebastian." A voice came from behind them. They turned around to see a middle aged man, probably a noble from his pretentious stance, with more nobles behind him.

Sebastian greeted him, "Lord Starr."

Lord Starr gestured to the men behind him. "I am showing the ambassadors around the king's gardens."

"Thank you for taking the trouble of travelling so far to get here," said Sebastian. Ally's gaze slid around, looking for a discrete exit.

An ambassador with black hair spoke, "No, we should be thanking you. We are humbled and delighted to be here in His Majesty's countenance."

Ally recognized the ambassador from her lessons. The books had sketches of the people along with the text. He was from the Sun Kingdom, a country that has been an old ally to the Moon Kingdom since ancient times. Like all the other ambassadors here, he looked remarkably important. The Sun Kingdom ambassador became aware of her presence. "And this is?..."

"Princess Ally of Dawson," she placed her hand over her heart and bowed slightly. The etiquette lessons had been drilled into her.

The realization dawned on the ambassador. "I see. So you are the one they said His Majesty is killing his time on." He laughed as Ally narrowed her eyes. "Ah, please excuse me. I heard it from a cabinet minister a moment ago. The princess from the tiny country that was brought here for the World King's amusement, right? You have a magic trick of some sort, too."

The other nobles laughed along with him, and added comments that belittled her powers. Ally clenched her fists in anger. She was standing right in front of them! The princess piped up. "Hey-"

But another voice joined the group, interrupting her. "She may be from a less significant country, but compared to those who do nothing but suck up to me, she's far more important." Austin had arrived, carrying a forbidding and authoritative aura with him. His eyes were dark as he regarded the ambassadors. "Utter your words with more care, ambassadors. She is still a princess who deserves respect, and she will be your queen soon."

"Y-your Majesty!"

"Our apologies-"

"Please forgive us!"

The King just stared at them coolly while they scrambled to kneel before him. "Lord, would you want to tire me with this tedious banter when we both know that I heard everything?"

The Sun ambassador nodded quickly and frightfully. "Excuse us, Your Majesty. We shall take our leave now." And so the nobles ran off with their tails between their legs. Sebastian left with them, but not without giving Ally a raised eyebrow and a glance at Austin.

Austin sighed. "Nobles."

"Queen?" A sly smile lit up Ally's face. "Are we still doing that?"

The king finally connected gazes with her after what seemed like forever, and coughed. Was that pink tinting his cheeks? "Technicalities. It makes them more intimidated too. Those nobles think they say anything with their status."

Ally studied him carefully. He had dark shadows underneath his eyes, and his posture had slackened once the ambassadors scampered off. "You don't look so good."

"I haven't slept," the king shrugged, "pulled an all-nighter."

"Why don't you take a break?" Ally suggested.

Austin opened his mouth to decline, but closed it as he changed his mind. "Fine." He walked towards the shade of the leafy trees. Ally followed him and sat down on the grass beside him.

"What brought you outside? Thought you were busy." The princess started conversationally.

"I guess I felt like it. These trade routes I have to decide on to authorize is giving me headaches." He let out a frustrated breath. The king dug something out of the inside of his shirt and unfolded it. It was a map with several coloured lines on it.

Ally observed it thoughtfully for a moment, before pointing at the red one. "This one."

"Why that one?" He inquired. "It doesn't go through any of the forests." The red line trailed right along the edge of forests and trees.

"Reaching all those towns is faster, and you don't have to worry about ambushing in the woods. Sure, forest will give you cover, but it'll give thieves cover too."

"How about water and food supply? The forests provide that."

Ally replied with ease. "The towns. If they have to, they can venture into the forest."

Austin nodded, appraisal in his eyes. "You're a good strategist. Thank you."

"You're welcome." The princess returned his smile. "I had parts in these types of affairs back home."

"Remind me to consult you then." His gaze was elsewhere, and his mind was burdened with his worries. "Hey, can you make rain again?"

"Like I've said, it's-" Ally paused in her automatic response, "I thought you didn't like it. You want to see it now?"

"I don't know, but there's just something about the rain that makes me remember it well. When it rains, all the savageness of the world seems to disappear. And it gets...quiet."

_The one who taught Ally how to bring forth the rain was her grandmother._

_"What we moisten is not just the earth," said Ally's grandmother, "there's something else we reach when we make it rain. The place we call the true raindrops are the special places in people's hearts. We put an end to the heavy burdens that people carry. The heart is a sacred place, but it is extremely fragile and easily dried. That is why we must deliver it to them. Do you understand?"_

_"Yes, grandmother," replied young Ally. Truthfully, she did not understand any part of what her grandmother had just said. How can rain wet people's hearts? It was just too abstract of an idea for the young princess to comprehend._

Now, years later, Ally understood.

"This is magnificent," complimented Lord Starr to King Austin.

The introduction celebration for Ally was lavish. It was held in the ballroom of the castle. Streamers hung from the high ceilings, and the most beautiful flowers decorated the room. Lords, ladies, and ambassadors from other countries buzzed about in the ballroom. Drinks and food fit for the king and future queen were served by courteous servants.

"Thank you," said Austin, "Please, enjoy yourselves." He nodded kingly to the ambassadors behind Lord Starr.

Suddenly, surprised remarks came from the guests. Flower petals floated gently from the ceiling, even though the windows were not open.

The Sun ambassador spoke. "How splendid! You've really outdone yourself with the decorations, Your Majesty."

"This was not planned..." muttered the king.

A figure at the top of the grand stairs caught everyone's eye. It was Ally, in a dress that flowed as smoothly as the flower petals floated. Her lustrous dark hair was pulled back and had flowers matching the petals woven into it. The finest strings of pearls hung from the high neckline and intertwined with her dress.

The crowd murmured in awe. "Is that the princess?"

Sebastian faced them. "Honoured ambassadors, this is what you called a magic trick."

Ally stood with her back straight, dignified. "I sincerely thank you all for gathering here today on my behalf. This is a symbol of my gratitude."

The princess began singing. A soft noise outside attracted the people's attention. Through the ballroom's windows, it was raining. The shower amazed the audience, for some of them have never seen rain, let alone see someone will it to come. Ally's voice was just as mesmerizing as the rain, especially in the foreign language she sang it in.

She curtsied when her song ended and the clouds dissipated. The audience clapped, looking at her in wonder. The Sun ambassador went up to her, "Your Highness! Never have I seen someone as beautiful as you." He knelt before her and took her hand into his. "If you would give me the honour of kissing your hand..."

Another hand grasped Ally's and pulled it away from the ambassador's. "You seem to have grown interested in Princess Ally, despite your comments several days ago. Sebastian, it appears our ambassador is a bit thirsty!"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Sebastian appeared by the ambassador's side, and took a hold of his arm, "allow me to lead you to the drinks, ambassador."

Austin and Ally watched in amusement as the ambassador was dragged off. "Thank you," said Austin.

"I didn't do it for them."

"I know," a small almost unnoticeable smile graced the king's lips, "I understand. Thank you."


	6. Chapter 6

**Long chapter. This chapter is going to be really annoying, sorry. I swear this had to be done and there's a good reason for it (I think). Bear with me and I'll explain at the end?**

* * *

Two farmers squinted at the glaring sun. "It's especially sunny today," said one.

"At this rate, the fields will be dried up before we get our scheduled water delivery." The other farmer sighed. "We will have to use the water from our tank...what's that?"

Their heads turned towards the source of the singing, and they saw Ally on top of the hill. She had her arms spread open to the sky where clouds were already gathering and beginning to darken. Some other farmers had heard it too, and looked at her in surprise.

"Is she the princess they keep on talking about?"

His friend nodded, anticipation in his eyes. He had seen this rain before, and it didn't lessen the excitement of being able to see it. "With the powers, yes."

The rain came down with a whoosh. Their farms were immediately moistened, and so were they. Ally finished the final verse, cleared the clouds, and ran towards an elderly farmer who sat under the shade of a tree. "Hey," she waved, "how's your farm, Maria?"

The farm's owner smiled at the princess. "It's going very well, thanks to your rain."

"It's no problem!" She flashed an equally bright smile at her.

"Although," Maria said with concern, "is it really alright for you to do this?"

"Of course," replied the princess. She had decided it wouldn't be bad to use her powers if it helped people. Rain calling was meant to help people in the beginning of time. Ally knew she would have done something like this anyway, but she had insisted it was sacred when she was annoyed that she was brought here on a whim. Besides, she already did it two times, both for Austin in a way. It's only fair.

A bang resounded through the air.

Everyone jumped. The startling sound had come from the castle, and one of the farmers exclaimed, "Did he just fire a blank from a cannon?"

"Yeah," Ally rolled her eyes, "that's the bell calling me home. Bye, everyone!"

As she ran past some bushes, she failed to see the figure on a horse who had been spying on her. The horse rider followed the princess at a slower pace, taking their time.

* * *

"You just had to fire that blank, didn't you?" was the first thing Ally said as she stepped into the study. The king and his butler stood by the window.

Austin shortened the telescope he had been using. "Hello to you too, wife."

Ally took a seat on a chair, a faint blush on her face. "What is going on with that, anyway?" The whole marriage situation was a mess.

"I called you back to talk about this actually," the king admitted, "all marriages have to be approved and signed by the church. I'm about to send ours in, and..."

"Austin!"

Someone came barreling past Ally, and into Austin. They knocked the king off of his chair with the force of their...hug? Upon closer inspection, Ally and Sebastian saw that Austin's attacker was only a teenage girl. Austin had been moving into a defensive position when he too realized who it was.

Austin peered into amber orbs, his own face contorted in recognition, then confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"Um, can anyone tell me who this is?" asked Ally.

The girl swept her hair the colour of brown sugar back as she stood up. She somehow gracefully swatted at invisible dust on her golden dress. Hands folded neatly in front of her, she was the perfect image of well-mannered nobility while she introduced herself. "I am the first princess of the Sun Kingdom, Brooklyn Aditya Sun-or if you'd prefer, Brooke."

Sebastian sidled over to Ally and muttered, "She and Austin have been friends since they were very young..."

"I've come a long way to claim something Austin promised me a long time ago, an union..." she met Ally's gaze evenly, "In short, I am his fiancée."

Ally's jaw almost hit the floor. She then glared at Austin in accusation.

Austin rubbed his temples and sighed. "I never promised you anything. Your parents wanted us to, but-"

"The Sun Kingdom is the Moon Kingdom's oldest ally! I won't let you refuse."

The World King shook his head, and stormed over to Ally. He took a hold of her arm, "Anyways, I have a fiancée already. I am _taken_."

"Oh is this her?" Brooke's mouth pulled back into a sneer. "My ambassador came back in shambles, and he had these ridiculous adoring eyes when he spoke of you. I don't see much, though. You're only-"

"_Hey_, that's enough." Austin's tone was enough to send shivers down Ally's spine.

Brooke huffed. "I'm not leaving until you leave in tears."

Ally had a feeling she meant what she said.

* * *

And from that day, Ally found herself tormented by the Sun princess. As if her regular lessons weren't bad enough, now she had Brooke judging and mocking her. Brooke had been raised as 'true royalty', and excelled at all of the things Ally had just started learning. When Ally paused even for a second during a recitation of a poem, Brooke would be right at her neck, uttering the line perfectly even though Ally could have done it.

Ally found herself screaming into her pillow at the end of the third day. Austin watched her bemusedly, sitting at a table with some documents on it. He had now taken the habit to look over his documents in Ally's room, so he'd get to see her for a bit before she went to bed. Occasionally, he'd join her.

"This is your fault." The princess glowered at the king.

Austin shrugged. "I didn't do anything. In fact, I haven't heard from her since a couple years ago when I succeeded the throne."

"She's your childhood friend right?" Surely he would have kept in touch with her.

"Kind of. Back then, she just followed me around. She insisted on being my friend despite of my mother's social status. It was a bit concerning, really." The corner of his lip turned up into a half smile. He then yawned, and headed to the bed to get some sleep.

The princess found herself not feeling so calm after his words. That quirk of his mouth and softer look in his eyes when he spoke of Brooke...She seemed important to him, so what had happened?

* * *

Ally went to her dancing lessons the next day. Of all of the lessons, dancing was her most dreaded. The dances here were different from the dances in her country, and she just had a hard time getting the hang of it. As a result, she found herself stepping on Sebastian's foot a lot.

But she tried even harder now. The princess would not admit it had to do anything to do with Brooke. She was not doing this for the Sun princess, no, she was doing it for _herself_. If Brooke had influenced this new fervor, then fine. A little, tiny push doesn't hurt.

A snicker came from behind Ally and, speak of the devil, the brunette was there in her golden Sun Kingdom colours. The Sun Kingdom colours matched the sun's intensity. Brooke wore some variation of gold or yellow, with the slightest hint of another colour. She had observed something Ally absolutely did not want her to see.

"I bet a monkey could dance better than that," she tilted her chin up, "you call that a dance? Allow me to-"

"Okay." Ally was just tired of her antics. "Take the dance floor, show off. I get it; you're better at this than me."

She turned on her heel and strode out of the ballroom. Furiously, Ally went to the farms. She visited Maria, talked to her, and helped out a bit. It calmed her down somewhat, and she went to the royal library afterwards. With the heavy tomes in her arms, Ally went up to one of the towers where almost nobody ever was. In isolation, she practiced her dancing with the books as her guide.

Ally danced and improved without the distractions. It wasn't until the skies were dark and there was company that she realized it was late. The blonde had found her, with cups of some kind of drink in his hands.

"Hey," he said, "I got some luna juice from the kitchens. It helps with fatigue, and I figured you might need the energy."

Ally accepted it with thanks, sitting down on the stone ground of the tower. She stared out into the city below while Austin joined her. The juice was tangy and sweet, and she immediately felt less tired with the sip. Austin drank from his cup steadily, eyes going back to Ally every once in a while.

He cleared his throat. "Do you want to talk?"

"Not really."

"If this is about Brooke and me-"

Ally shook her head. "No, it's not that."

"Okay then. Since you won't spill, I order you as the World King to speak your mind."

The princess snorted, cracking her somber demeanor. "That's cheating."

"Did it work?" Austin smirked.

"Nope!"

"I'll say whatever I assume you're thinking then. Unless you tell me, you're going to have to listen to my guesses. I think you're worried about me replacing you with Brooke?..." He studied her carefully, looking for any kind of response. Ally remained stone faced. "Anyway, while she is a proper royal that would benefit the country greatly with the political, economical, and other advantages, it doesn't matter."

"It doesn't? I thought since she's the first Sun princess and all..."

Austin grinned. "She sprouted all that nonsense, but it means nothing. The Sun Kingdom is an old ally, but marrying her wouldn't make a huge difference. Besides, the Moon Kingdom is pretty well off and we don't need that much help, do we? It's good for the country, but she's not for me. Brooke is lacking..." He looked into Ally's eyes. The king seemed to try to communicate something to her silently. But there was some hesitance in his gaze, too.

He wouldn't say _it, _at least not now. And she wasn't prepared either.

So the princess shrugged. "The complicated mess that is our relationship?"

"That's a nice way of putting it."

"It works, doesn't it?"

The blonde resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He stood up and offered her his hand, "May I have this dance?"

Ally, playing along, got up and curtsied low. "Of course."

They danced a dance Ally had been practicing before he had arrived. It was a bit easier with an actual person there to practice with. Sure, she made some mistakes and they were embarrassing, but dancing was dancing. However, it was a bit more enjoyable with Austin.

But she wouldn't say it aloud to him.

Brooke watched the couple from behind a stone wall. She clenched her fists as she looked at Austin dancing with Ally.

_I've never seen that before_,she thought to herself, _Austin's smile._

It was true. Not once had she seen the gentle curve of his true smile. The smile was unlike the twisted smirks or the charming grins that looked real, but did not match the expression in his eyes. It was stunning, but saddening, for she knew it was not for her.

* * *

The next day, Ally woke up to someone calling her name in urgency. She could see Marilyn and the others rushing around behind the butler in front of her.

"Princess Ally," said Sebastian with alarm, "come quickly, Princess Brooklyn is-"

* * *

Brooke waited for Ally outside with her hands on her hips. "First, let me praise you for not running away. I believe you've already heard of what is to happen, but I, the first princess of the Sun Kingdom, challenge you to a duel. An ancient duel, in which we have a death race by horse all the way to the cliff!"

Austin, who had arrived just a bit after Ally, gave Brooke a look of disbelief that matched the ones on the others' faces. "How many times have I told you, that's too dangerous! It's not allowed, and that's an ord-"

"I'll do it." Ally put her arm in front of Austin. She muttered behind her to him, "Brooke is serious about this, and I cannot deny her. Don't worry, I won't allow myself to be separated from you already, right in front of your eyes."

Austin met Ally's gaze, and saw the resolve in there. Stubborn idiot. "Alright, have fun."

_I'll support her from behind, then._

The princesses got onto their horses. Brooke clarified the rules as Ally readied herself. "We are to follow that water bridge. It leads us through a forest, through a control area, to a cliff. Get to the cliff, but do not stop before then, or you lose. However, if you do not stop right before the cliff, you will die from being flung into the crashing waters. If you want to stop this, tell me now..."

Ally got herself into position without a word, eyes set on the route. Hips up, body leaned forward for the high speeds. "Let us go, then."

_Damn, she is actually doing it. I was hoping I would scare her off._ Brooke thought.

They sped off at the signal. Ally pulled ahead at ease, putting meters between her and Brooke.

Brooke gritted her teeth and snarled. "Do you really want to be the wife of the World King that badly? I've loved Austin longer than you, _before_ you!"

"Compared to you, my time with him is nothing. But the small amount is enough. I've seen the face of the World King, but most importantly, I've seen the face of the broken and suffering human being," the cliff was now in view, and Ally prepared to stop the horse," and I accept that part of him too! So that's why...Brooke?"

Brooke's expression had turned unreadable with each word that came out of Ally's mouth. What was most alarming was the fact that although the horse had stopped before the cliff, Brooke had not held on, and let herself be flung off the horse's back. Ally frantically muttered some foreign words while Brooke began to fall to the currents below.

At her command, a gust of wind picked up and brought Brooke back up the cliff. Ally strained to bring her up all the way, but couldn't hold it, so she settled for grasping the other princess's hand. Brooke hung to Ally's hand, the only chance of survival. But her eyes were still blank.

Brooke had realized she did not love Austin.

_What am I doing_, she wondered, _I was frightened of the Austin, scared of how he had changed. I was so scared I hid from him for years...When I heard he was getting married, I had come here because of my selfish love._

_No, it was not love._

_But, this woman, she is better than me, for she loves even Austin's weaknesses so completely...when I couldn't look at him._

The trotting of horses could be heard, and Brooke squeezed her eyes shut. Heat from beneath her eyelids threatened to spill.

* * *

"How are you feeling?" The king asked the princess.

"Better," Brooke was still in bed, "how is _she_?"

"By calling the rain right away, she strained herself and used too much energy. She's exhausted."

Brooke scoffed. "What is she, a middle aged woman?..." She then frowned. "Hey, Austin, being able to call the rain like that, is it important?"

"What about her song?"

"I've heard it before, when she was bringing rain to the farm land, and I hate it. It feels like it just barges into your heart."

The gentle smile Brooke felt jealous of appeared. "Yeah, it does have a bothersome part to it. It strips away things like status or bluffs. You become a simple person." He gave a chuckle. "In front of her, it doesn't matter if you're a commoner or royalty. Even a 'king' becomes just 'Austin'. The rain falls evenly on anyone and everyone alike."

"That is pretty important."

* * *

"I'll come again," Brooke said, "to repay the debt. Can I see you for a moment?"

Ally nodded as Brooke lead the way to the grassy area in front of the castle. "Okay, but are you alright? I heard you're leaving already..."

The Sun princess squared her shoulders, then bowed to her. "A loss is a loss. But besides that, I owe you my gratitude for you have saved my life. Although you're uncivilized-"

Ally cleared her throat.

Brooke turned away from Ally, looking anywhere but at her. "But, no matter how uncivilized you are, Austin needs you. And don't you _dare_ forget that. When I saw him on that throne years ago, it was frightening. That crown on his head was too big for him, and his eyes, I could not look into them longer than a minute. But you love him even after he changed."

"Brooke..."

"Hey, will you sing for me? Austin said he would come to see me off, but I don't want him to see me like this." Tears streamed steadily down her face. "If it's raining, they won't be able to notice, right?"

The Rain princess sang. And while she sang, Brooke let her sadness run freely. A soft rain covered them, and it mixed with her tears. Brooke's heart hurt so much it felt like it was going to break, but she still appreciated the rain. She, even with the rain, could see the world beautifully.

The strange song seemed to make her face the troubles she hid away, but when she did, she felt lighter. Relieved.

* * *

**PREVIEW:**

Austin banged his fists against his desk. Pure, raw anger radiated from him as he spoke to Ally. "He got me."

* * *

**Did you guys survive? This is double the amount I usually write, ha ha, so I hope it was okay. I usually hate the whole useless 'jealousy' thing but I wasn't trying to do that, even though it may have seemed like it. I wanted to show how Ally loves all parts of Austin and bring up some of the past too!**

**Q:Can she get pregnant though because I have never seen a royal austin and ally story where they had a baby**  
**A:Maybe, unless something happens to Ally ;) It would take a long time though, because I have a longgg somewhat planned plot. Perhaps as a side story, Guest!**

**Q:Is the sun ambassador Dallas or something?**  
**A:For once I have to say no. You'll see that I have PLANSSS, very detailed plans for dear Dallas. You'll see in several chapters later. ;D**

**I await your responses to this chapter :) Cya later!**


	7. Chapter 7

Ally was met with the sound of someone humming as she entered Austin's study. She looked on with surprise as she discovered that it was the king himself humming a song. She listened for a while before speaking up.

"I like that song." The princess murmured.

Austin startled but when realizing it was her, smiled easily. "Learned it when I was younger."

"You used to sing?"

"I loved it. Still do, just no time for it." He remincised sadly for a moment, but shook his head. "Did you read the reports?"

Ally nodded. Austin had been seeking her opinion on all sorts of matters within the kingdom, and they now had regular discussions. He valued her input and was often greatly influenced by it.

The two sat down and got to work. Eventually, Ally decided to take a break by asking Austin to teach her the song. He obligued, and soon the study was filled with singing and laughter. Ally was delighted in finding out he liked singing, and their friendship strengthened further.

A few hours ticked by until they were interrupted by a knock. Sebastian entered at their cue.

He looked at the two with a look on his face that filled Ally with dread. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good. Austin sensed this too and shared a look with her.

"The council has signed a petition." He said simply but gravely, and handed it to them.

The duo scanned it briefly and gazed at eachother in shock. Ally's jaw was slack for a few moments, before she fell into a fit of giggles. Austin laughed along.

"What is it?" Sebastian asked in confusion. He hadn't read it, but the council seemed very angry.

Ally picked the sheet of paper up. "They want me out of this kingdom because 'I am negatively influencing the King's decision making.'"

"Also known as the choices she helped me make are not benefiting their already flourishing businesses." Austin rolled his eyes. "And they're really serious about this."

"It says here, 'the princess has no business in consulting His Majesty as she has no status as a legitimate have the support of many and their private armies. If need be, we will push the foreigner out ourselves under Law 46 in Charter 3.' What do we do now?" Ally didn't want to leave so soon.

Austin puzzled over this until the most simple solution came. "How do you feel about a summer wedding?"

* * *

And so Ally found herself planning a wedding.

"Engagement ceremony?"

Marilyn and the maids had laid out an assortment of fabrics for Ally to choose from. The princess admired the pretty fabrics while Marilyn answered, "Yes, an engagement ceremony. It's a ceremony before the actual wedding ceremony. The engagement ceremony is also called the exchanging of the rings, where the rings represent the moon. The couple trades their own rings to each other to make the engagement complete."

"This kingdom sure has a lot of ceremonies." Austin told her that he had already sent the marriage application to the church, and the certificate was to arrive soon. Ally honestly didn't know what to think. On one hand, she was getting _married_. On the other hand, she got to stay with Austin.

She pondered this while inspecting the next silvery white fabric. Marriage was a huge commitment, and she constantly doubted her decision. But how bad could it be? She was friends with him. A piece of paper stating and a couple of ceremonies wouldn't change much, right? They would probably carry on with their messy relationship as it is. Probably.

She could have done much worse for marrying anyway. Austin wasn't the ugliest or the most annoying. They were _just_ friends, with some political problems making them sign a couple of papers, and plan some fancy parties.

_Nothing more, nothing less._ She told herself.

A familiar butler appeared at the door. "Princess Ally, would you quickly come to His Majesty's office? It's an urgent matter."

Austin banged his fists against his desk. Pure, raw anger radiated from him as he spoke to Ally. "They got me."

"Who?" It was weird to see the king so distressed. If he was losing his usual cool, it must be pretty bad.

"The priest who approves marriages. He's considered 'divine authority'." Austin crumpled up the letter that was the source of his frustration.

Sebastian explained further. "Our country worships the moon god, and the church that is represents the god oversees all festivals of the god, including celebrations of marriage. Even royal marriages are to be approved by the church because they play a huge part in the country."

"And the priest rejected ours...why?" The princess didn't know how to feel about this.

Austin tossed the crumpled letter out the open window. "The reason is that 'the princess is from a different ethnic group', but I call bullshit. In history, there were several queens from different ethnicities. They didn't approve the marriage because they don't like me and they got involved with the council!"

"When His Majesty was crowned," said Sebastian, "he immediately took steps to destroy the corruption in the government. The number of people removed from power was not few, and it is no surprise that some may have resorted to joining the church. There is, however, another way..."

The king raised his hand and glared at his butler. "If you tell her, she'll do it like the stubborn person she is."

Ally crossed her arms. "At least tell me. I'll find a way to know anyway."

Austin resignedly nodded to Sebastian and Sebastian continued. "You will have to take the Trial. One must find and get a special ring in an underground shrine. If they succeed, they receive the right from the moon god to enter the royal family. It is a difficult trial and many princesses have lost their lives there. Because of that, the Trial has not been done in ages."

"I-"

"No," Austin said bluntly, "I'd rather shut down the whole church than you take one step into the shrine. It's too dangerous."

"If you accept the Trial, you will be admitting that you do not belong here too." Sebastian explained again.

The king sighed. "I'll figure something out."

As soon as the discussion was over, Ally left the room in a hurry to find Marilyn. Her maid had mentioned something about her sister working in the church. Ally had a plan and she needed Marilyn's help. The princess wanted to speak to the priest, or at least see what kind of person he was. It was not a solid plan, but she couldn't just sit around.

Ally borrowed an uniform from Marilyn, and headed for the church. She disguised herself as Marilyn going to the church to deliver something to her sister. A shawl covered her face, and they let her in. Ally was walking through a long hallway when she heard a commotion in the room just a bit ahead of her. Curiously, she peeked and eavesdropped.

A maid was standing with her head down as some higher authority reprimanded her. He was saying harsh things and was raising his hand to hit her. Ally, without much thought, interrupted with a burst of wind. She stood protectively in front of the maid, the man knocked off his feet from the wind she summoned.

"P-princess Ally?"

Well, her cover was blown. "Don't you dare try to do that again."

The man glowered at her. "A foreign princess will not speak to me like this."

Another man stepped in and placed a hand on the angry man's shoulder. "Calm yourself."

The first man immediately bowed to him. "I'm sorry, Priest."

The priest Ally had been looking for turned his attention on her. "And what is the princess of Dawson doing here?"

"I want to talk to you about the rejection of my marriage to King Austin."

He nodded. "I see. You possess the power to bring forth the rain, correct?"

"Yes." Ally raised an eyebrow at the random question.

The man's eyes held an odd glint as he spoke the next words. "Rain and clouds are evil things that cover the moon. This country does not need them. Yes, you are a bad omen."

Ally stared at the priest in shock.

"His Majesty may send me to prison, but I will say this frankly," he continued, "King Austin, by choosing you, has proven that half of his blood is filthy. The king's mother was from a small tribe, and his blood is not fit for a king. He does not deserve his throne. Austin the First should not have been born." The priest turned his back on her. "You should take the opportunity to not marry him, or you may find yourself sharing the same fate as Austin's mother."

The princess resisted the urge to go after and punch him in the face as he walked away. "Is that a threat to my life?"

He paused in his steps, and flashed her a fake smile. "Take it as you will, Princess."

The maid who was behind Ally the whole time placed her hand on her arm. "I am so sorry, Your Highness. Would you allow me to take you on a detour?"

Ally agreed, and the maid, who introduced herself as Bethany, escorted her through several doors to an open area. There were many interesting trees with white petals, and a house in the distance. "They're quite amazing," commented Ally, pointing to the trees.

"Yes, they're in full bloom right now, but that's not what I wanted to show you. I wanted you to see that." Bethany nodded towards the house.

As they walked closer to the house, Ally saw some children gazing curiously at her from the window. "Is this?..."

The maid explained somberly. "Everyone there does not have parents. They are child refugees from other ethnic groups, and not long ago, they were called "children of the lower class". King Austin abolished the class system, but there was still no charity for these children. His Majesty personally ordered for this orphanage to be made."

One of the children collided with Ally. The young girl hugged Ally's legs as she asked excitedly. "Are you the queen?"

"I guess, but..."

"I knew it! Is King Austin not coming today?"

"Yeah, it's just me. 'Today'?"

The girl grinned, revealing a missing tooth. "He came here last week for an inspection. But he looked at those flowers the whole time!" She gestured wildly to the rose bushes to their right.

Ally tilted her head to the side in confusion. "Really?"

"M hm. I asked him if he liked them, and he said 'flowers were just flowers'!"

"Sounds just like him," the princess giggled.

"But then he said looking at the flowers reminds him of his queen!" The girl gave her a sly look and poked Ally. "That's you. He told me that 'not only flowers, but the trees, the sun, and the whole of the world reminds me of her. When I think of the queen, the world is a lot more beautiful.'"

Bethany came back from the rose bushes, and brought out a small bouquet of them. She offered it to Ally as she smiled warmly. "The children would like to give you this. We believe that to us, Princess Ally has already done enough to be qualified as our queen."

* * *

Austin opened his eyes wearily, smelling something sweet. His head still sunk comfortably on his pillow as he saw Ally sitting by his side.

"Oops, sorry I woke you up." She apologized.

"It's alright, but what's that sweet smell?" He glanced at his bed sheets and almost jumped in surprise. "What is this?"

Ally laughed at the expression on his face. The king was still looking at the roses on his bed in shock. "It's a flower bed!"

Austin mock glared at Ally.

The princess shrugged it off. "These flowers are from the children in the orphanage. They plucked almost every rose when I told them of my prank."

"You went to the orphanage?"

"I went to the church." Ally took a deep breath. "I accepted the Trial." She had told Bethany to confirm it for her after she visited the orphanage.

The effect of her words were instant. "What? I told you, it's-"

"Let them hurt me then. If it's a wound taken for you, I'll take it. I'll accept the hate, even if it comes from their hate of you. Austin," she met his gaze and held it, "I want to accept both you and your pain."

Austin gazed back at the brown orbs and saw that there was no point in fighting her. He moved to one of his drawers and took something out. "Put out your hand." Ally did as he said and he put the object on her palm. "This was my mother's ring. She told me to give it the right person when the time came, and I've meant to give this to you. There's a chain so you can wear it around your neck for now. Maybe it will protect you. And then during the ceremony, you can wear it on your finger. But return safely from the Trial first."

Ally regarded the beautiful band of gold, touched. She looked back at Austin as she put the necklace around her neck.

"I will."


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm so sorry.**

* * *

The flames of the torches were the only source of light. Ally stands with Austin, silent as the cloaked clergymen open the old temple. The king turns to her, a hesitant look on his face.

_Are you sure?_ His face says.

The princess smiles softly at his evident worry. It was endearing, but unnecessary. "I can handle this," she whispers, and takes out the ring, her ring, from the depths of her cloak. It still hung from around her neck.

"I know," he says back. Their faces gravitate towards each other, but then they similutiously remember the audience before them. Austin instead kneels, grasps her wrist gently and brushes his lips over he inside of it.

She flushed and was sure he could feel her pulse beating loudly. Such a simple, innocent movement made her melt and shiver at the same time. Austin peered at her from underneath his lashes coyly. "Return safely, my Queen."

She grinned impishly back. "Of course, my King."

Their exchange is brief, but she could see the yearning in his eyes. He gets up gracefully, and they sliently turn towards the temple.

The people from the church have already opened the huge stone doors. The priest holds a burning torch, casting eerie shadows on his face. He bellows shortly after they finish. "The Trial shall how begin. Princess Allison of the Dawson Kingdom, please step up."

Feeling Austin's gaze on her back, she lifted her chin high as the priest explained the Trial.

"Within the depths of this temple is a statue of the moon god. In her hands should be a box containing the ring, and once you bring it back, you shall pass the Trial. Failure would mean death." He concluded ominously even though it wasn't needed. Austin and Ally glared at him. "Do you accept the Trial?"

"I do." She accepted the flaming torch given to her and entered the darkness.

The stone doors slam shut with a thud.

The princess is grateful for her cloak as the cold darkness wraps around her just as she enters. Her steps make echoes on the stone floors. Her knuckles are white from clutching her torch.

Ally's heart drops to her stomach as her left foot touches nothing. Resisting the forward pull, she pulls her weight back and lands backwards. She takes her torch to scan what was ahead of her, and found nothing.

From her seat on the ground, she can't see how deep it is, but she knows that it is a drop nobody could climb out of. She shivers at the close call. For a split second, she panics and considers going back.

But as soon as that thought comes to mind, she dismisses it. _I made a promise_, she reminded herself, _and I will follow through._

Ally continues her path. It feels like an eternity, and the princess wonders if it is day yet. Will she ever see the daylight again? She knows she must have been in the same place twice, maybe three times. Her enthusiasm dissipates, but her determination remains strong.

It is a matter a luck when she walks into a chamber with a giant statue. Obviously, it is the statue she was looking forward with all the moon symbols surrounding it. Her face lights up with a grin and she runs to it. In the god's hands is the box! She grasps it gently but hurriedly opens it.

There is nothing.

A tug at her gut, and her senses suddenly heighten. There are people behind the pillars of the room that had sneaked in during her happiness. They are here for her. It is a trap.

The people, masked and dressed in black, create a circle around her. She observes and thinks over her options quickly, before taking a huge breath and blowing her torch out. Her ambushers make noises of surprise as the dark surrounds them. Several swords are unsheathed.

"Where is she?"

"Quiet! We need to listen for her."

Ally manages to get away undetected and knows when she feels a cold stone wall behind her back. She takes a minute to calm her nerves.

_I need to get out. I need to get out._ She repeats as she breathes in and out. _Get out. Austin. I'm going to see him._

Her ambushers have started moving, trying to find her. Completely throwing away stealth, she takes off in a sprint. A good distance away from them for the cost of being located. She tries to summon some wind to make her fly and be faster, but the confined temple has no breeze.

"Over there!"

"Quick, we can't let her live." Their footsteps are like a stampede compared to her own. Her heart thunders harder.

_I just need an exit. Please, please, please-_

A hand takes hold of her shoulder and pulls her sideways. Her arms and legs are immediately striking out, not going down without a fight. A few of her desperate swings land a hit, and they grunt in pain. Whoever got her shuffles for something. A flick and the tiniest flame is lit, illuminating the face of her capturer.

"Austin," she breathed. Never had she been so thankful to see those hazel eyes.

The king checks her over carefully from head to toe before giving her a reassuring smile.

They are in a small alcove sharply curved so that the match Austin lit does not attract her pursuer's attention. Ally is pulled flush against Austin, but their situation did not allow time for modesty.

"Do you know a way out?" The princess radiates hope.

Austin nods. "I suspected that this was a trap so I did some research. There are several hidden tunnels out. I'll get us out, but we have to be careful." He extends his hand out and Ally holds it. Austin extinguishes the match and Ally loses her sight again.

It is different this time. The darkness seems to never end, but this time she is grasping another hand. Austin leads them with his other hand on the wall. They turn this way and that until Ally hears the rustle of the trees. Rays of moonlight seep through the small opening in the stone.

When they are outside, Ally could almost cry tears of joy. "We're alive."

She connects gazes with Austin. He looks just as relieved as she probably looks like. An urge to close the space between them arises, but they both clamp it down before they do anything rash.

He coughs. "Let's go home."

Home.

She smiles and just goes with it. "Home."

They jog through the open until they are under the cover of the trees. The two slow down to a walk in the relative safety of the branches.

"What happens now?" Ally asks. She doesn't clarify what, but he understands.

"We'll find some kind of evidence and use it against them-"

A shadow drops down to the grass. They are shocked still for several seconds but that's all the person needs. They lift their sword in the air. Ally can only watch as the sword comes towards her. Even as Austin moves to block it, it's too late.

"Ally!"

It hits her.

She expects the same tearing pain she felt last time with the arrow, but doesn't feel anything. Several clangs sound and she opens her eyes to see her attacker's sword fly out of their hand from some sort of manuveur Austin did.

Her hand feels where she should have been cut, to feel sharp metal. She looks down to see her ring sliced cleanly in half, just barely hanging onto the necklace. Ally cradles the remains of the ring in her hand.

"You alright?" Austin murmurs, eyes frantically flickering over her. She glances back behind him to see he had somehow knocked the person out.

The princess lifts her hand up to show him. "I'm fine, thanks to this." She frowns deeply at what used to be a beautiful piece of golden jewelry.

A hand brushes against her face. Ally locks gazes with Austin and sees his not disappointment, but relief. "Forget about the ring," he says, "I'd rather lose all my useless gold, money, and kingdom than you."

Ally's eyes widen at his words. His expression remains unwavering, but with a hint of fear. This was a level of vulnerability that he didn't ever want to expose. But he did, for her.

"Was that a love confession?" Ally's whisper is joking, but there's an underlying question too.

His lack of laughter and overall seriousness is the only answer she needs. The sincerity he is displaying right now takes her back. Her own hand reaches up to grasp the hesitant hand that had been near her face. Ever so slowly, in case she is wrong, her face inches towards his face.

He confirms everything by meeting her expectant lips.

Ally can only hear the pounding of a quickening heartbeat with each brush of their lips. She is so close to him at the moment that she can't tell apart which one is hers and which one is his. The kiss is just as electrifying as their first one, if not more. Every part of her feels light. Even the tips of her fingers tingle.

In the center of all the chaos, Austin and Ally are lost in each other for a single, beautiful moment.

* * *

**I am so sorry.**

**I went on a camping trip, got severely allergic, and lost my ability to write. School bombards me and I got distracted with other ideas.**

**Sorry.**

**I came back because I thought of all the unfinished stories I've followed. I couldn't do that to you all.**

**I get it if you're angry, but tell me _something_ so I know I came back for the right reason. I hope you will still read this.**

**As always, I'd like to thank _you_ for reading. You know who you are.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Special thanks to all my readers for being understanding.**

**This is dedicated to you guys and also to my fellow writers (you know who you are) who are having trouble with their stories. Don't give up!**

* * *

"Looks like we're even now." Austin joked as they sat next to an old well, still in the forest.

He had arranged for Sebastian to pick them up here once they made it out, and now they were waiting. The two leant against the collapsing stone, with the unconscious attacker between them.

"You still owe me," Ally said in singsong.

Austin looked at her in puzzlement. "You saved me from the arrow, and the fire. I saved you from the temple, and the sword."

"That's not what I meant," the princess laughed, "You promised me you'd show me the rest of the kingdom."

His eyes lit with understanding. "Oh."

Their hostage groaned on the grass. The masked person couldn't move with his binds, but spoke with strain. "You're asking for a date now? While an unconscious person is here?"

Ally shrugged, and fiddled with the edge of her cloak. "I've had a lot of near death experiences tonight. It's made me realize I should just go for it."

"The summer festival," replied Austin, "It's beginning the day after tomorrow. I think you'll like it. What do you think?"

"Sounds great." Ally smiled widely.

"I'll have Sebastian clear my schedule." Austin smiled back just as widely.

"You people are weird." The traitor said.

* * *

"They have one of ours."

A series of curses followed. "The whole plan is ruined."

"They do care for each other. The king especially so. Apparently he said he would give up the whole kingdom for the princess."

"He did break the rules because of her…" They pondered.

"We can use that against him."

* * *

There were more people here than she had thought.

With the sun rays beating down, the large masses were almost unbearable. It wasn't a surprise nobody had recognized the two royals. There was an overall joyful atmosphere though. Everyone was here to celebrate the coming of summer.

As of now, she could stay in the Moon Kingdom. With their hostage and Ally bearing witness to everything that happened, _they_ couldn't make a move. The latter was being interrogated right now, but Austin had assured her that her right to stay if she wanted would not be challenged again. As of this moment, she was just a guest.

Ally struggled to see her surroundings, but the person beside her knew the streets and weaved them through expertly. She was grateful for her guide who tugged her along by her hand.

"I used to sneak out of the castle every year for this," Austin began, nostalgia in his eyes, "Easier to sneak out then than now."

"Must have been fun," she commented lightly, not at all minding his sudden change in behaviour. Austin was practically glowing, the exact opposite of when she first met him.

She felt happy that he was happy.

The king showed her his favourite festival game stalls. She wasn't any good with them but he was, and at the end of the hour, they had an abundance prizes in their arms. Her stomach hurt from all the laughing she had done.

"I love this," Ally exclaimed in glee, "I am coming back every year."

Austin shared her look of childish excitement. "And I'm coming along too." He saw something in the distance and handed her the prizes in his arms apologetically. "Sorry. I just saw my favourite festival snack ever, but I _need_ to surprise you with this."

"Alright," she decided to humour him. He took off to line up at the stall.

Ally strolled leisurely through the other side of the street. A group of children ran wildly and she smiled, as she felt like one right now. One of them ran a bit close, and she was slightly jostled. One of their prizes fell and rolled into the gap between two buildings. The princess sighed and went inside to pick it up.

She felt a pinprick in her back.

Her hand reached back to feel it, suspecting an insect. What she felt instead was a slim object. Without thinking, she pulled it out and her eyes widened at the dart.

Her senses were immediately on high alert as she put her back against a wall, scanning the quickly blurring rooftops. She opened her mouth to sing and carry a wind here. She needed to get out of here and find Austin.

Not a sound came out.

It was like her throat had closed up. There was no mistake it was caused by the dart. She fought back the panic when the people she had been expecting dropped down from above.

She glared at them. _Cowards_, she wanted to shout, _you couldn't handle one person. _Her back was starting to numb, but she readied herself.

Ally put her hands in the air, and two of them came forward. As soon as they did that, she fisted her hands and punched them in their unsuspecting faces. One of them got hit, but the other she missed because of her paralysing arm.

She went low and swung out a leg next, trying to knock this one over. The princess knew she only had mere seconds before the rest of them bombarded her.

Her gaze turned upwards, looking for some kind of escape route to the roofs. If they could get up, she could get up. She spotted some uneven bricks sticking out, and quickly used them as foot holds.

Ally climbed the fastest she had ever climbed up the building. She could feel the scrape of the rough brick on her hands but at the moment, couldn't care less. She just had to get up and away.

Fingers wrapped tight around her ankle and she felt her stomach, along with the rest of her, plummet. As she was pulled down, her head collided against the wall. Her movements became more sluggish as she tried to fight back.

A fist struck her face, and she tasted copper in her mouth. Her assailant snarled something, but her jumbled brain couldn't make sense of anything. With a deep feeling of dread she saw them take out a length of rope.

She curled into herself and tried to crawl from underneath them to that narrow, narrow opening of the alleyway. A kick in her already unfeeling back that pinned her to the dirt was what she got.

They took hold of her by her hair, and she was bent back to meet grey eyes. Again, they said something in frustration but she couldn't understand a thing.

Grey eyes brought back his arm and she squeezed her eyes shut for yet another fist was coming towards her.

It never came.

Her eyes snapped open to see a blur of gold and blue-Austin.

She smiled dazedly at the sky. In the background, Austin was making quick work of every single person with much vigor.

Too much vigor.

She furrowed her brows at the show of violence that reminded her of her first impression of him. Ally despised her assailants, but she didn't want to have them die.

_Austin, stop._ She tried to say. No sound came out and he continued punching and kicking with ease. How smoothly he did it almost just froze her in terror.

_This isn't Austin._

She struggled to her feet and slowly ambled towards Austin. Careful of his swinging fists, the princess gently put her hand on his shoulder. He tensed under her touch and turned on her. She stared back unflinchingly, but pleadingly at him.

It was at this close distance that she noticed the tears streaming down his face. She tried to smile in assurance, feeling a trickle of blood flowing down the corner of her mouth.

At that, it was as if a switch had been flipped. Austin completely let go of the shirt of the man he had been beating up, and grasped her face softly. It was a stark contrast between the pain dealing hands thy had been before.

"Ally," Austin said, voice trembling. His eyes trailed over to the cut on her cheek, and the gash on her forehead. "I am so sorry. God, I was so stupid to leave you alone."

She was still having trouble comprehending his words. Her hand pointed at her throat and she shook her head.

His expression crumpled before her. "Your voice. _Ally_. What did they do to you?" The furious look that flashed in his eyes made her think he was going back to what he was doing, but it passed.

She motioned to the exit of the alleyway with her head.

He nodded urgently. His hands lightly guided her away from the carnage and back outside. She had only taken a few agonizing steps before he shook his head.

Ally was lifted up and pressed into him protectively as he jogged towards the castle, not caring for the peculiar looks they got.

* * *

**Sorry about any mistakes! Don't have a ton of time to write or edit. Thanks for reading and I hoped you liked it :)**

**Love your comments, please keep them coming! :D**


	10. Chapter 10

Ally sat up as soon as she was awake. Throwing the covers aside, she stumbled as she tried to walk across her room. Her face would have met the floor if hands hadn't steadied her.

Her gaze swiveled and she saw Austin. He looked pale, but he managed a smile for her. "Where were you going?"

He led her back to her bed, and she sat down reluctantly. Her brow was creased in confusion. "You're here?" Her voice was hoarse.

He stilled, and looked at her as if she struck him. "Why wouldn't I be?"

She ignored the flutter in her heart. "I thought you'd be off doing stupid things." Ally observed her surroundings. In the corner of her room, the flowers in the vase had wilted. "Last time this happened, you got people so angry they set your room on fire."

"Is that why you were in such a hurry?" He hid a smile at her mention of the fire.

"Without me you'd be dead."

The king handed her a glass of water. "You're not wrong. But so would you."

"So did you?" The water soothed her throat and she sounded closer to normal.

"I haven't left since you passed out." Austin looked up in thought. "Two days."

It didn't seem like a restful two days either. The shadows under his eyes were the darkest she's ever seen, and he was still wearing his disguise for the fair.

"They poisoned you with something that made you mute for a while." His voice darkened, but his touch was soft was he tucked in a strand of her hair. "The healers said that it was a heavy dose, whatever it was. Made your throat swell up, and the rest of you paralyzed. I was there when they were treating you. Three times," he stared at the bandages wrapped around her scraped hands, "you stopped breathing."

Austin looked at her. The emotion in his eyes was so raw it almost hurt to see it. There was fear, but also something else indescribable in his expression.

"I was scared." He whispered. "I couldn't do anything."

Ally took hold of his hand. "I'm breathing right now."

His eyes flickered to her lips, then to her eyes again. Before she knew it, they were kissing. In their kiss, they were both almost trying to devour one another.

Who knew when this was going to happen again? What if one of them didn't survive next time around?

Even without words, both of them understood this. Their understanding was demonstrated through the movement of their lips.

When they stopped, their foreheads were pressed together. Austin absentmindedly ran a thumb over Ally's lips. Ally was afraid to open her eyes. She wanted to imprint this moment into her memory.

"So much for going slow." Austin broke the silence.

Ally laughed. "I don't mind fast."

"Me neither."

"What's going to happen now?"

"I'm going to find them." Austin's words was but a low murmur. The underlying violence was there though.

"I'm coming with you."

"Ally-"

"No. We do this together, or not at all." The princess took a breath. "They came for me, and I'll come for them now. This is my revenge too. I've had enough of these near death experiences, and seriously, I need to do this for my sanity. Let me also remind you that _I'm_ the one with the powers." She feels like an arrow, drawn taut on the bowstring, pressed against an archer's cheek.

The silence that followed made her think he would still refuse, but he laughed. "This is why. Why I-" He uncharacteristically looked away. "_Where_ did you even come from?" His tone isn't one of scorn, but rather one of near awe.

"Kingdom of Dawson." She quips. He smirks.

When she thinks back to this day, she realizes. Things are different now. Last time, Austin went on a rampage of rage. This time, he stayed. She had no clue how he handled his kingly duties for the past few days, but she was grateful. Maybe even a little bit selfish, but hey, she could have easily died.

But now it was different. They were different. They were going to work together now, instead of the tangled mess of emotions they used to be. Their relationship wasn't flawless now either, but they did it together.

"As soon as you get better, we can start." Austin stood up, stretching. "I'll get somebody to send you breakfast."

"What are you doing, then?" She jokingly crossed her arms. Ally was half serious, though. She was definitely not in any shape or form ready to save him from another assassination attempt.

"Nothing that'll make anyone kill me." He flashed her a grin. "Well, more than usual, anyway. I've got Sebastian and some other people handling things right now, and I'm surprised no emergencies have come up yet."

"That actually isn't too bad." It was suspicious how rational he was. "Okay, go and do your kingly duties."

Austin waved goodbye with a warm smile. The blond glanced around the room, and headed to the vase. The long dead flowers shifted as he grabbed the vase. "I'll get these changed too."

The door swung shut, separating the two. Austin spotted some servants nearby and asked them to prepare a meal for Ally. As he begun to head to his office, a butler rounded a corner.

"Sebastian!" He greeted. "How is the search?"

Sebastian bowed deeply. "No one has been found yet, but we are looking. Our methods this time will mean slower results."

"I promised Ally I wouldn't outright make people mad again." He hadn't lied. Austin studied the glass vase in his hands. What flowers this time? The lilacs? "But I couldn't do nothing. How could I sit there with all they did to her?" He glared at a painting on a wall.

The butler quickly recognized how the king's thoughts were heading to the darker variety. "Well," he intercepted, "I think it's the right move. Undercover methods are slower, but less retaliation in the long run. You can get some information, some leads, and then solve the problem from there."

He wants to put every single person in the kingdom on trial. He wants to weed out those rebels, those people who hurt her. If he gets another assassination, so be it. His wrath thrums underneath his skin, fighting to get out and _hurt_.

But Austin breathes, and nods.

_It isn't just my safety on the line now.  
_

* * *

**I thought about making Austin be all angry and take revenge, but I decided hey, this is a good chance to show how their relationship has grown ;)**

**Let me know what you think! Are they ever going to get to the bottom of everything?**


	11. Chapter 11

As soon as the doctors deemed her well enough to leave, Ally was up and running.

Asking the occasional servant here and there, she figured out where Austin was. She arrived to the castle entrance and saw a bustle of activity. The king was speaking to some servants.

As she enters his line of sight, he smiles and dismisses the people he was speaking to.

"Are you sure you should be out already?" He says in concern, hand grasping her arm as if ready to support her if she collapses.

She smiles and shrugs. "I'm perfectly fine." She slips her arm through his, hooking their arms together so they can walk side by side. "What's all this?" She says, gesturing to the people decorating the entrance, lugging around shining instruments, and so on.

Austin brightens up at her mention of what is happening. He looks elated like in those rare (but quickly becoming more frequent) moments they share. "A good friend of mine, he's coming to visit and discuss some…matters with me. You might have heard of him. Dez-I mean, Lord Dezmond of House Wade?"

Ally picks at her memory and nods as she recalls that name. According to her teacher, he had been a guest at the castle for several of his earlier years because of complications. He must have befriended Austin then. The princess welcomes the happy air around Austin, grateful in her discovery that Austin had not been completely alone. "Is he coming today?"

Austin shakes his head. "Tomorrow morning, if everything goes well. It's been years since I last saw him." He bites his lip, and she can sense the nervousness he is giving off. It's excited anticipation mingled with anxiety.

"I'm sure he'll be as happy to see you as you are right now." She replies, patting his arm. "Have you written to him all these years?"

"We have. He travels a lot and is in charge of a lot of foreign matters-treaties, alliances…so he has to officially inform me. But we do write about other things." The castle sits elevated on a hill, Austin stares out beyond his Kingdom where Dez would be arriving from.

"I can't wait to meet him." Ally murmurs genuinely. Because whoever could make Austin like this, is definitely a good person.

* * *

Tomorrow comes faster than she expects. She had spent the rest of the day with Austin, helping with the preparations. Ally also took the effort to brush up on her knowledge of the guests in the evening. Now, she wakes up to the chatter of her maids.

They help her into a dress that makes it seem like liquid gold and sky is flowing off of her. Her hair is gathered up with hairpins in the shape of crescent moons. Gold, blue, and moons. She looks and feels like she is from the Moon Kingdom.

She is then hustled to the castle entrance where Austin already awaits, also clad in golden moons with blue accents. The heavy, ornate crown sits on his head.

He looks take back at the sight of her, mouth agape, but regains his composure in front of all the other people. Musicians are adjusting their instruments, servants wait for orders, and guards line the sides where the common people press in, eager to catch a glimpse of royalty.

"You look stunning." He mutters to her as she stands beside him.

"As do you." She responds, shivering a bit. Ally had an inkling things would be very different if they weren't in front of half the kingdom.

They match, she realizes. They stand side by side covered in the colours and symbols of the kingdom.

Some people cheer her name as she takes her place at the top of the steps. She smiles widely and waves, wishing she could meet them up close. Even though she had lived all her life like this, it still felt wrong to be above everyone.

"Queen Allison!" One of them shouts, and then the rest follow. They chant it repeatedly.

She feels her face redden as Austin stifles his laughter. Ally hadn't realized how much she was in the people's favor until she had been injured that festival day. When the people had heard what had happened, they had sent her mountains of letters wishing her a speedy recovery. She hadn't understood why, but Marilyn had explained that they knew that she had positively influenced many of the choices Austin made for the poor. Not that Austin had never cared for them, but they believed that she made him even better.

It seemed surreal to her then, but now she was literally shown how much they supported her.

She looks back at Austin to find his amusement has disappeared. He is staring coolly at some nobility behind them, where they whisper, clearly about her. When they notice his casual scrutiny, they immediately stop.

The princess nudges him. "Hey. You can't win everybody over, right?"

He nods uncertainly, and focuses his attention on her. "We still haven't found anything. The person we captured the night of your trial isn't talking." His jaw clenches at the word trial. It's no secret that he's still furious that she has to prove herself to stay.

Luckily, after the news came out that Ally had been led into a trap, the people came to her defense. Almost the whole kingdom protested against the petition to make her leave. The angry mass of people caused the people behind the petition to get rid of it, allowing her to stay.

"Nothing at all?" She asks.

"Nothing," he sighs heavily, "but we're going to begin some methods of persuasion."

Ally nods absentmindedly, trying not to think of what that meant. As much as it made her uneasy, she knew they didn't have much choice. Austin's safety was on this.

Despite the failure of the trial, she felt fine. At least right now, she can stay as a guest without any pressure to do what she originally came to do. She and Austin currently danced around each other, their relationship in some odd grey area. Were they courting? Still engaged? She wasn't sure.

A blare of trumpets brings her back to the present. The clattering hooves of horses announce the arrival of the carriages. She straightens up and folds her hands in front of her. A hush falls over everything.

The driver of the carriage hops off and opens the door. Everyone watches with bated breath as a man with auburn hair steps out, squinting in the glaring sunlight. His blue eyes settle on Austin, and he makes his way up the stairs.

It's tense and silent as the two assess each other.

Finally, the newcomer breaks the silence. "You got taller." An almost silly grin appears on his face. He all but tackles the king into a hug. Austin laughs with Dez as he hugs him back.

"So did you."

The lord lets go of the king, and waves at the audience behind them. "Hello, Moon Kingdom!" The people shout and clap loudly in response, excited. He turns back, uncontrollable grin still present. "I missed this place."

"Welcome back." Austin grins back.

His friend's eyes land on Ally. "Hey, it's you! Lord Dezmond, of House Wade." He puts his hand out, and she automatically puts hers on his. Dez kneels before her, as customary.

"Princess Allison, Dawson Kingdom." She introduces herself, politely smiling.

Dez nods thoughtfully. "Kingdom of Dawson's great. Rainy, but great. Been there a couple of times for business. Anyhow, I'm excited I'm finally meeting you. Austin's crazy about you, writes about you in every letter ever since you came here."

Now it's Ally's turn to stifle a laugh. She could see why he was in charge of what he was in charge of. Dez had this open, enthusiastic quality about him that made even strangers quickly at ease with him.

Austin clears his throat. "Lord Dezmond, why are there extra carriages? You're usually a light packer, unless you've changed more than I thought."

Dez perks up in realization. "I got so carried away I've forgotten. When I told them I was coming here, they wanted to come along." He shrugs and nods at another carriage driver, who scrambles to open the carriage door for whoever's inside.

A middle aged woman and a man Austin's age come out, adorned in garments of gold and red. Ally briefly registers the sun symbols before Dez speaks again.

"Queen Luciana Sun, and her son Prince Xavier Sun. From the Sun Kingdom, of course."

Ally feels Austin stiffen beside her at the sight of the two. She looks at him in concerned confusion as they stand in front of them.

"I hope our arrival doesn't cause too much trouble." The queen smiles warmly at Austin. She has green eyes and familiar blond hair. Her features are strikingly similar to Austin's, Ally notes with confusion. "We were so excited we forgot to send a messenger bird, right Xavier?"

"Absolutely ecstatic." He also has matching familiar blond hair, but he has blue eyes. Instead of warm blue eyes like Dez, his are cold. Xavier smiles at Austin, then Ally.

It chills her to the bone.

* * *

**Uh oh, Sun Kingdom! What's going to happen?**

**I apologize for the wait, I've been busy with my other A&amp;A story The Words. Plus planning the future of World's Verse. It's going to be an interesting ride. (At least I hope so.)**

**Feel free to comment your thoughts!**


	12. Chapter 12

"Of course not. This castle will always be a home for you, aunt." Austin's polite demeanor remained, unfazed. If Ally didn't know him so well, she wouldn't have noticed the strain behind his smile.

Her mind spun at the new information. _This was his aunt? Queen of the Sun Kingdom?_

"Always so kind, like your mother." Her vivid green eyes slid to Ally. "And you must be the princess with the ability everyone's talking about."

Ally picked up her billowing skirt and curtsied. All the while feeling rapt attention on her at the mention of her powers. Piercing, blue eyes. "Yes, Your Majesty."

"It's nice to finally see Austin taking an interest in another…fascinating person." Xavier nodded to the king, not quite saying his words as a question. He stepped closer so that his words need only be muttered. "Are you following your father's footsteps already? We all know how well that went for your mother."

The king simply laughed as if Xavier had told him a private joke. "Let me ask Sebastian to arrange your accommodations. You must have some rest before the banquet tonight."

Dez yawned, an unusual sound in the current atmosphere. "Good, because I am exhausted."

As the servants lead the royal guests into the castle, Ally turned to Austin.

"What was that?"

"A surprise."

"Is it a surprise we should be worried about?" Ally stared at the back of Xavier's head, skin crawling. "Your aunt seems fine, but your…"

"Cousin. Xavier's my cousin, Luccina was my father's sister, she married, became queen and a Sun. Don't mind Xavier, he's always been difficult and there are little consequences for his actions as a prince." He shook his head in disbelief. "Things were so much easier as a prince."

Ally nodded hesitantly. "Alright."

* * *

Several hours later, the welcoming banquet was in full swing. Austin, Ally, and the newcomers sat at the elevated table up front where they looked over the rest of the room. Lords and ladies of the court chattered excitedly as silver and glass clinked, the surprise visit from the Suns no doubt one of the many subjects they gossiped about.

The king spoke in low tones to his aunt recent affairs of the kingdom, leaving Ally to speak to Dez. It was more listening rather than speaking, really. Ally listened with interest as he spoke of his trips to different countries and the random things he discovered. It was a welcome change to learn from such an animated storyteller rather than her lessons.

"The last time I went to Dawson Kingdom, I even got to see someone call the rain." Dez grinned.

"Oh," Ally said in surprise, "did you like it?"

"Of course I did! It's amazing. How is it all even possible?"

Ally laughed at his wonder good-naturedly.

"How is it?" A curious voice murmured.

The princess almost did a double take. Xavier had been quiet for most of the evening, save for the customary small talk.

"I just…take in my surroundings, and sing…" She replied, wondering if she should be sharing as much as she is.

His icy eyes made the hairs on her neck stand up. "But can anyone learn?"

"Do you want to learn, Your Highness?" Dez interrupted, giving Ally time to recover from Xavier's unexpected question.

He blinked at Dez as if realizing what he had said. The prince scoffed and took a sip from his goblet. "Of course not."

"I'm afraid it's passed on in the family." The princess added sheepishly. "We haven't tried with other people but I don't think it would work anyway."

"I have read that it's how House Dawson came into power." Xavier commented. He scanned the mass below them contemplatively.

"That's true." Dez said. At their peculiar looks, he shrugged. "Have to study all history doing what I do. Speaking of what I do, did I tell you about that time I…"

Ally smiled and nodded at the appropriate times as Dez dove into another tale. She could feel the cool gaze of the prince flicker to her once in a while. For a person whose last name was Sun, his personality was the opposite of warm.

At some point she felt too uncomfortable to continue to stay. Uttering a quick excuse, she left the table and the crowded dining hall. It was actually getting late, so anyone who saw her dismissed her as retiring to her room. She let her feet carry her wherever, breathing in relief at the silent and mostly empty hallways. Most of the people were at the banquet or helping the banquet.

Xavier's questions prodded at her mind. His interest was surprising. But everyone else outside of her kingdom had been fascinated too, so maybe she was looking into it too much. It was probably the fact that he was such an intimidatingly quiet person that she assumed he would remain so.

As her mind cleared, she noticed where she had walked to. It was the underground level of the castle, an area she did not go to often. Other than the lit beacons that spanned every few feet, darkness filled her path. She shivered at the thought of things lurking in the shadows, but brushed it off.

The smell and lack of light of this place reminded her too much of her Trial. Again, she tried to keep that out of her thoughts. She had to remind herself she was safe. This was Austin's castle, and there were no rebels here.

A scream pierced the air, so loud and agonizing she could feel it vibrate still in her bones long after it ended.

Her head whipped around her while she backed away, hand reaching out hoping to wrap around the railing.

_The stairs, where are the stairs?_

The noise had come from not too far away, and she wanted to get as far away as possible. The echoes of it still bounced off the walls, making it a mystery which direction it had come from. Choosing a random direction, she picked up her trailing skirt and ran.

A door was open to her right, and she heard some voices from that room. Slowly, she approached it. She peeked in and relaxed as she realized these were some castle guards. One barely an adult, another grey haired with a mustache. It would be better to not be alone, and she could ask where she could go back upstairs.

Ally made sure to make some noise to alert them as she stepped into the room. "Do you know where the stairs are?"

"Milady! I apologize." One of them, the older one, exclaimed and bowed deeply. The younger man followed suit. Their armor clanked loudly with the abrupt movement.

She hid her wince with a smile. "It's alright. I just need a bit of help with directions, and there was this uh, scream?…"

The same scream sounded again as if on cue, but the closeness of it was what made Ally jump. Her widened eyes flitted back and forth between the guards and the very close door she was sure the scream came from.

"What's going on?" She said suspiciously, unconsciously retreating once again. If she was right, that scream came from the door five feet to her left. It was a heavy wooden door with a very extensive looking tangle of metal locks.

The guards exchanged nervous glances that did not ease her worry at all.

"What is behind that door?" Ally repeated, more firmly this time. She stood up straighter to have her stance remind them of who she was. Flaunting her royalty and power wasn't her favourite thing to do, but situations like this, it proved useful.

"I-it's the prisoner from the Trial." The old one answered finally. "We're questioning him, on His Majesty's orders."

She nodded in understanding, deeply relieved. Austin had mentioned this interrogation. "Any developments?"

The older one shook his head while the younger one nodded.

Ally raised an eyebrow. "You would do well to tell me. Please." She accidentally let out at the end. The guilt of demanding them to tell her was too great.

The mustached man glared as the young man responded eagerly. "The prisoner, he says he'll tell everything if he can tell it to…" He trailed off in realization, looking at the elder at a loss.

"Who?" Ally pressed.

The old guard grunted, but reluctantly spoke. "You."

* * *

**Cliffhanger, dun dun dun! Hope you liked it, and let me know any reactions/thoughts/predictions :) They brighten my school filled days**


	13. Chapter 13

**Early update!**

* * *

"Me." She echoed, dumbstruck.

The guards nodded. They looked like they were about to be executed.

"His mouth was closed for a long time, until we persuaded him in, um, different ways. From then on he only said your name." The young one explained with his head hung.

Ally breathed in and out slowly. "How much does he know?"

Their heads snapped up simulataneously, expressions shocked.

"Your Highness, you are not actually considering…"

"How much?" Ally directed her gaze at the door. Behind it was a man that could have answers, and it seemed like it was all dependent on her.

"We're not sure. He hasn't said a word except your name, so he could know everything…or nothing."

"It's too big of a risk." The mustached guard touched said mustache nervously.

The princess absolutely agreed. She wasn't so dumb that she couldn't see the danger ahead. This captive is a trained killer, once sent to end her life. But if he knew anything that could help them end this once and for all…

She thought back to all those times she had almost been killed, and all those times Austin had almost been killed. Her heart clenched at the thought of further assassination attempts. What if she could find out everything? Who it was behind all this? What their next move is?

The tempting opportunity dangled in front of her, and she wanted to seize it.

"Is he restrained?"

"Princess, you can't possibly-"

"I am."

"But the King…"

Austin would be enraged. Ally knew as a fact that if she even suggested it, he would reject it. He was overprotective of her due to his past, and he would never let her near danger if he could help it. Or, if she was lucky, he'd agree on the condition of every guard of the kingdom watching and him beside her at all times. Which would not work for this situation, and it'll take too long.

He would be angry and sulk for a while, but she would deal with that later. With the Sun kingdom guests, she wasn't sure when she would get another chance to come down here.

"I do not need his permission." She tilted her head slightly, hair falling to cover her reddening ears at what she was about to say. "I am your Queen, and I have just as much power as him."

They looked at eachother in apprehension, but bowed. She hid her shock at their easy acceptance.

"Yes, he is restrained by the wrists and ankles."

"Good." She made her way to the door. "I will knock when I am finished."

Her fingers grazed the handle, the cold of it making her pause. She was really doing it.

"Are you certain you want to do this?"

She pulled her shoulders back. "It's for the good of the kingdom."

_And Austin._

The guards unlocked and removed the bolt from the door. It creaked from its own weight as it was opened. She stepped into the pitch black darkness of the cell, seeing nothing. If she thought that the basement corridor had been freezing, this was even more cold. As her eyes adjusted to the nonexistent lighting, she recognized a slumped figure on a chair.

"I told you, I'm only speaking to the Dawson princess." A crackly voice croaked out. It felt painful for Ally to hear it.

"And she is here." The brunette came closer, but left a few feet in between. "But not for long. Tell me everything you know."

Some mix of a relieved gasp and laugh came from the prisoner. "You actually came."

Ally felt the inevitable pang of sympathy for him, and tried to crush it. Even in the dark, she could see that his body was battered, bruised, and bloody. It would do her no good to feel sorry for him now, though.

_He had tried to kill me,_ she reminded herself. _And Austin._

"If you give me good information, I'll see to it that you get your…wounds treated, and you'll get some water and food."

His head bobbed vigorously. "Yes, I-I'll tell you!"

"And everything will be the truth?"

"Yes."

"Alright…" This was going better than she expected. "Who is behind everything?"

"Hard to say…a lot of those in the upper class blame the king. He, uh, raised and enforced higher taxes on them and stopped expanding the kingdom…"

She nodded absentmindedly, having known that already. "Any names? Who got in contact with you and ordered you to kill me?"

"We're a group of mercenaries. They just tell us what to do, and I don't get a lot of details. But I once saw …" He paused, and she heard him gulp audibly.

"What did you see?" She prompted, leaning forward.

"I saw a letter on a desk that explained the job, and the person who wrote and sent it. But I don't think it's them, it can't be right-"

"Just tell me, please."

"It was from the king's friend, Lord Dezmond."

Her mouth went dry. "No."

"The address was his, and his wax seal was on the envelope." The man went on, his anxious shifting causing his shackles to clink. "Please, that's all I know."

She inclined her head, closing her eyes. "It was more than I needed. Thank you." Ally got up and knocked on the door.

The lanky young guard opened it a crack almost immediately, assessing everything behind her before opening it fully.

"Can you please take care of his injuries, and give him some food and water?" She asked.

They looked taken back, but nodded their assent.

"Thank you." She said, everything coming out of her mouth not entirely processed in her mind. "I trust you won't utter a word to anyone about what's happened?"

They nodded once again.

At that point she was heading out of the door, still in a shocked, dreamlike state. However, something soon snapped her out of her haze. Shadows outside the prison had moved at the sound of her tapping footsteps, and disappeared.

Hastily, she ran out the door and pursued in the direction she believed them to be in. All thoughts were thrown out of her mind as she chased, only worrying about the consequences of someone else knowing what she did. There was a lot someone could do with that information, or the fact of her knowing it.

Her breaths came in short pants, and her legs felt like they were burning. As she rounded the corner, she saw that the person she was running after had stopped before a dead end.

In the flickering light of flames, she recognized the they as a he. He was tense as he continued to face the wall, knowing he was trapped.

"How much did you hear?" Ally asked breathlessly, trying to force some authority in her voice.

He didn't answer, but shifted his stance slightly.

Ally felt herself being shoved aside before she had even realized that he had sprinted forward. Her arm reached out automatically to grip his arm, and she managed to do just so. The momentum of it swung him around, revealing his face.

Her grasp loosened immediately as she gasped.

Xavier impassively stared back, tugged his arm away, and left her to her shock.

By the time she had processed yet another shock to her night, it was too late. She could still corner him during the day, but even now, she wouldn't know what to say. Confused and exhausted, she ambled her way back.

"Ally? Ally!" Someone yelled.

She jolted out of her reverie. Austin looked like he was running for his life as he neared her. A look of intense relief took over his features as he caught sight of her. His arms wrapped protectively around her as soon as she was within reach.

She slumped into his hold, grateful for the support. "Is the banquet over already?"

He frowned when she relaxed so suddenly, looking down at her in concern. His hand reached up to cradle her face. "I left it when the guards told me you ran…are you okay?"

She leaned into it. "I'm fine. Did you see anyone on your way here?"

"No." He glanced backwards. "Should I have? What were you doing down here, anyway?"

"I needed some space and I…" She had to tell him eventually. Better now than never. "I questioned the prisoner."

He inhaled sharply, eyes sliding shut. When he opened his eyes, he gave her an frustrated look. "I should have been there. With you. Why didn't you tell me?"

"You were busy with the banquet, and it was kind of a spur of a moment thing." She shrugged, pulling away. Ally started walking back, suddenly reminded of her discomforting surroundings. She hadn't realized how much she now hated underground places until now. "I had the guards just outside, and the prisoner was bound to his chair. He couldn't scratch an itch if he wanted to."

He walked by her side, but said nothing for a long time. At last, he sighed. "I'm not angry. I just-I was so worried when they told me. Do you know how far I was from you? It was much farther than last time. I was in the dining hall and you were down here. If anything happened I couldn't have known in time."

She felt guilt at his heartfelt words. "You can't always be by my side."

"I know." He looked at her, fear clear in his gaze. "And I don't like it at all."

She turned away from the intensity. For a moment she pondered, but decided to say it. "There's more. The prisoner-he said some…confusing things."

"Is that why you ran?"

"No, I was following someone who might have heard it." At his sudden alarm, she shook her head. "And the worst part is, I know who they are."

* * *

**Ally did it :) Anyway, I updated so fast cause I got into the flow of the fic and wanted to take advantage of it before it was gone. My friend was also urging me to do it. You guys deserve it too, after all! I know I've been updating randomly with long periods in between. **

**Hope you liked it! I feed off of your enjoyment. Thank you for all the awesome comments :D**


	14. Chapter 14

"Dez wouldn't do that. He can't." Austin said immediately after listening attentively to Ally. "Are you certain you heard right?"

"Yes." The princess affirmed. Her thoughts went back to the desperate, tired prisoner. "He was telling the truth, trust me."

He glanced at something else in her room in contemplation. Her word against their years of friendship? But then again, Dez had been away for years and who knows how he's changed then.

"I cannot believe it either." Ally admitted. "Dez is kind-genuinely kind." He's loud and overenthusiastic, but harmless in every way possible.

"We'll look into this further. But only between the two of us." He sighed, "I can't have this turn into a bigger mess if my subjects believe I'm spying on my trusted friend and ambassador."

"So we watch him really carefully?"

"As carefully as we can without seeming suspicious."

* * *

So they take turns watching his moves. Austin and Ally feel odd spying on who they consider their friend, but do it all the same. They can't stand having another rebel do something to the other, and they're desperate for a lead.

Dez doesn't seem to mind the constant company, and instead welcomes it.

"Just making up for all those years! No shame at all." He says joyfully when Austin shows chagrin for his frequency.

It both relieves and frustrates the king when he sees nothing questionable. Dez operates as he had years ago. Messy, scattered, but everything with its own apparent place.

They exchanged years of stories, and occasionally talked kingdom matters. What this country is up to, what that country is up to.

"…they've got a bad drought going on too. It's unfortunate, but the royal family's working on it."

Austin frowned. "We'll send some aid then."

"Of course," Dez agreed, "as a formailty. The rulers in power are overly wealthy, so they wouldn't need it. What they really need is to stop the spread of their desert-"

A soft knock sounded at the door.

"Come in!"

The door opened and Ally sidled in. They exchanged friendly greetings, already at ease with each other after a couple days.

"I think Sebastian was looking for you." She commented offhandedly to Austin while giving him a meaningful look.

_My turn to look over Dez._

"Well, I better go find him then. See you at supper." The king nodded goodbye to both of them, and he was gone.

"So what are you working on today?" She asked, partly due to her spying, but also due to her curiosity. Dez had an interesting job and an endless amount of stories that came with it.

He shrugged. "Looking at some letters, writing some. Want to help?"

"Am I authorized to?" Ally said incrediously.

"I trust you." Dez grinned. She tried to stamp out the guilt she felt as she realized she couldn't exactly return the sentiment. "I don't think you're going to betray Austin anytime soon."

The princess let out a laugh at that thought. "No, I don't think anyone could." She said delibrately, observing his reaction.

He just chuckled in amusement.

"So, how can I help?"

"How do you feel about reading some letters and knowing the latest news? Some of it might be interesting, but most of it will be boring."

"Sounds easy enough." She barely finished before he handed her a pile of envelopes.

He pulled out a chair at the second desk of the study. "Just let me know any significant events! Natural disasters, some overthrowing, whatever."

They took their seats and soon the room was filled with the sounds of shuffling paper. Ally read the first few letters with rapt attention, but soon discovered that all of them were boring. So she let herself into the lull of mindless reading, rarely ever finding anything big.

"Royal wedding?" She said.

"Already sent a gift." Dez replied absentmindedly.

"Did you find anything good in your pile of letters?"

"Nope."

"And I thought your job was exciting."

"It is. _Especially_ this part."

She hummed, focused again on looking for something of interest. It was a nice new source of information, as opposed to the messenger birds they got every morning from the city. Her pile of opened envelopes was soon starting to outnumber the unopened one.

She spotted an unopened envelope at the bottom, and snatched it up before it could sink deeper into the mess of paper. Her thumb ran over the intricate wax seal in interest.

_I don't think I've seen this crest before._ She combed through her mind, trying to recall this image from her books. _What House is this?_

She broke the seal and unfolded the paper. Her eyes scanned over its contents, bored. Surprisingly, it was a short message.

_We are prepared to rise up against the King. Awaiting your trigger._

Her expression grew from bored to panicked. This was what they were looking for. She almost jumped in joy at a lead! But her face fell as she realized that Dez was a traitor. She glared at the sheet in her hands.

Both a blessing and a curse.

"Anything on your side?" The voice of Dez interupted, making her jolt slightly.

"No." She lied promptly. Ally quietly folded the letter, stuffed it into the envelope, and slipped it onto her person. A deep guilt gnawed at her but she tried to focus on the big picture. "I think I've done most of them. I have to go right now for something..."

"Don't worry, as you probably know now, they're not that important. See you tonight."

"See you tonight." She said half heartedly back. How soon would they arrest him? Would they arrest him?

She had walked away from the study for only a few moments until she came face to face with Xavier. He looked faintly surprised at her, but his expression cooled. The tension was thick as they stared at each other.

Ally had been looking to talk to him for several days now. Somehow, he always evaded her or never left the company of others. Now, they were alone, except for the occasional servant passing by.

She couldn't just interrogate him in the middle of a hallway, could she?

His hand moves and she tenses. Her caution is needless, however, when he reaches into the depth of his jacket to pull out a delicate metal thing.

"My mother told me to give you this." He says simply, no mention of what happened nights ago. His expression is unreadable as always.

She holds her hand out hesitantly. The object drops into her palm, surprisingly heavy. It's a bracelet made of silver vines and crystals of liquid scarlet. "Thank you...?" The princess says awkwardly.

Austin's aunt had probably sent it. Ally wasn't surprised as she had been accompanying the Sun Queen when she wasn't spying on Dez. The princess had played tour guide and tried to survive within the court of ladies she rarely dabbled in. It was a simple, if not bit early, token of appreciation.

"She suggests you match it with another red dress." Xavier mumbles and then he turns on his heel to walk away.

Urgency seizes her at the sight of his retreating back. "Wait!"

A couple servants turn their heads at her exclamation. Xavier notices this and stops in his tracks. Ally tries not to smile too widely because for once this week, the presence of other people finally worked in her favor.

"What did you hear the other day?" She asks casually for the sake of the servants, but her meaning is clear.

He feigns a bashful sort of look. "I've forgotten."

"Have you really?" She struggles to keep her voice light.

A challenging glint appears in his eyes. "I have." He confirms, and leaves.

The frustration begins to rise in her again, but as she moves, _it_ shifts in her pocket. The weight of the letter is grounding as she stares at the prince. It wouldn't matter anymore if he knew, as she had the evidence. This letter would allow them to act accordingly, and soon, it would be no secret.

If only the thought of arresting Dez didn't leave such a dreadful feeling.

* * *

**Uh oh, what's going to happen next?**

**10.10.15. **


	15. Chapter 15

By the time Ally runs around to try to find Austin, it's already time for dinner. Her maids find her before he finds him and rushes her off to change

Which means she has to stay put and maybe drag him away towards the end to tell him everything. Food never looked so uninviting that night. She fidgeted in her seat as the rest of the people talked cheerfully.

To make matters worse, Dez still sat beside her unaffected. Does he know a letter is missing? Was he expecting one? How can he be so talkative and nice when he had betrayed his best friend? She really needed to tell Austin so they could discuss how to deal with this. He is sitting _right_ _beside_ her, but she can't say a word. Not when Dez and so many other people could hear them and see the letter.

She takes a scan of the room, breath catching as she makes eye contact with Xavier.

He looks away quickly.

"I see you've taken my advice." The smooth voice of no one other than the Sun Queen says in front of her. She must have rounded back to the front table after socialising with the court.

Ally glances down at her deep ruby dress, and smiles politely. "Of course. I wouldn't want to ruin the beautiful bracelet you've given me." It wasn't too terrible either. She found that the red brought out the red in her cheeks and lips.

Luccina gives a tinkling laugh. She reaches out gently to take Ally's wrist and tilt it. The blood red crystals and metal is jostled as she inspects it. "It looks much more beautiful on you." The silver scrapes at her skin as Luccina lets go of it quickly.

"Lord Dezmond! Good to see you. How did you fare today?" She waves grandly, almost too dramatically, and raises her goblet to him.

He laughs and speaks with her as their goblets clank. Ally perks up at the opportunity. She nudges the king beside her.

"Need to talk to you. Outside." She whispers quickly.

He hesitates as many eyes are on him, but seeing her urgency makes him follow her outside.

"You do know what they will think of us leaving together." Austin says when they stop a couple feet away from the dining hall entrance. The hallway here is thankfully empty, and the only sound they hear is the noises from where they left.

Ally ignores the implication and digs out the letter. "I found this in Dez's mail."

He takes it from her and scans it, face falling with each word. The piece of paper feels abnormally heavy in his hand. This was proof that his best friend is a traitor.

"I'm going to have to put Dez on trial." He mutters in disbelief.

There's a sudden crash in the dining hall, followed by screams and gasps. Alarmed shouting soon fills their ears. Ally runs forward to go see what's happened, but Austin instinctively pulls her back behind him.

"An attack?" She barely breathes, eyes wide.

Austin's eyes dart from her to the door, and back. Finally, he shakes his head. "Go to a random room. Lock the doors. Barricade them."

"I'm not hiding." She argues.

The noises are escalating now. Austin pulls her in for a deep kiss. "Do it for me, please. Just once."

Her heart flutters, but the princess stands her ground. "No."

"I'll be right behind you as soon as I handle this. If it's what I think it is, I can't have you there. Trust me. Go." He's practically begging now.

She gives him one last lingering look and then runs off.

He squares his shoulders and heads back to the dining hall.

Austin can already hear an army of guards approaching. He will command them and take care of the situation. These rebels were much dumber than he thought if they would attack in middle of his own castle-

His body and mind halts at the sight in front of him.

There are no rebels.

Dez is on the ground, convulsing. His face is tinged purple as he chokes on nothing. Lucina is holding him up, though it does not help the ghastly gurgling noises he is making.

"What happened?" Austin demands as he lands on his knees beside his friend. Traitor or not, this is not how it is supposed to be.

"Something must have been in his drink. Poison." The queen replies uneasily. "Who could have done this?"

The rest of the royal court murmur to themselves at her words. Who could have done this?

Austin can only stare at Dez, whose eyes are unfocused. He can see that they are beginning to lose light. "Where are the healers?" He forces out.

The healers arrive as he says this, and they cast him aside to take charge of the situation. Only then does he pause and step back, where his subjects are watching him attentively. What would the king do?

In his mind, his thoughts are an entangled mess. Who would poison him? The rebels? Why would they poison Dez if he's part of the rebels? None of this makes sense.

"Whoever did this will be severely punished." Austin says in his authoritative tone. "Anyone who knows of anything, come forth now. Or you will be punished the same as the culprit. _Execution_."

The dining hall falls into a hush. Lords and ladies of the court shuffle nervously, eyeing each other with caution. Whoever poisoned the kingdom's ambassador could be standing right beside them, after all.

A voice rises up amidst the crowd. "Princess Allison did this!"

Austin's gaze snaps sharply to the speaker. "What?"

The balding man seems to begin to falter, but straightens up. "She's the only one who left not too long before Lord Dez left, _and_ she sat beside him. Obviously she poisoned him!"

* * *

**Thoughts? :)**

**10.16.15.**


	16. Chapter 16

_Previously:_

_A voice rises up amidst the crowd. "Princess Allison did this!"_

_Austin's gaze snaps sharply to the speaker. "What?"_

_The balding man seems to begin to falter, but straightens up. "She's the only one who left not too long before Lord Dez left, and she sat beside him. Obviously she poisoned him!"  
_

* * *

The king rose indignantly. "She would not-"

The heavy steps of armored guards came into the dining hall. Austin looked to see that two guards were holding a struggling Ally by the arms.

_No_.

"We found her running away." One of them reported gruffly.

Murmurs began again in the crowd.

"Guilty…"

"Knew we shouldn't have trusted the witch."

"She faked her kindness all this time?"

Austin had his gaze set on Ally. She was fighting to get out of the guards' grip, but stilled as they connected gazes. Her brow furrowed as she looked around, and her eyes widened at the sight of the fallen Dez.

"Austin." Luccina recaptures his attention. "As your aunt, I'm begging you to look past these false feelings she is deceiving you with. Princess Ally poisoned Lord Dezmond."

"I-" Ally whipped her head around to look at Luccina. "What? I didn't poison him!"

"This was your plan all along, wasn't it? Disillusion him, bewitch him. Then kill Dezmond." Luccina spat out her words like the poison that was in Dez now, but her eyes got glassy on Dezmond's name. "I see through your act. He was a dear friend to me, and you just assassinated him."

"Execute her!"

"Traitor!"

"You did say you would execute the culprit, didn't you?"

Ally was looking more and more panicked by the second. He sent her a determined look. Austin tried to convey that he wouldn't let this happen, that she didn't have to worry.

"No. As the king, I am not allowing this." Austin's voice was steel. He glared unflinchingly at his aunt.

"Will you not give Dezmond justice?" Luccina looked taken back.

"This isn't justice."

The Sun Queen nodded, glancing away from him. But when she looked back, she had a different expression. The grief had transformed into resoluteness.

"As your nearest family member and the closest monarch at the moment, I am temporarily taking your place at the throne to overlook the trial." She gazed back evenly as he gaped. "It is in the charter. If the suspect of a crime is connected to the monarch, it will cloud the monarch's judgement. I have to ensure that you won't foolishly choose her over Dez."

In a startling clarity, it clicks into place. Austin is suddenly powerless to stop anything. There's no doubt that Luccina and all the witnesses in this room would readily send Ally to her death. The queen is already giving orders to the guards on where to imprison Ally as he processes this.

He tries but fails to give Ally a reassuring look. The both of them know there's nothing he can do now. She closes her eyes almost as if in acceptance, and his hands clench into fists at the sight. It makes him think too much of what she'll look like very soon.

_Oh god,_ _she's going to die, she's going to die-_

"...post no less than five guards near her cell every hour. Make sure her confinement has no windows, not even ones with bars. We must account for her powers." Luccina is saying. The princess in question is staring blankly at the tiles.

Austin knows he can't let this happen.  
_  
How is she going to die? By the noose? The guillotine? Firing squad?_

All of those ideas makes him see red.

"Wait." He interrupts. The authority in his tone halts everyone. The dining hall is dead silent. Taking a deep breath and only looking at Ally, he says it._  
_  
"It was me."

"What are you doing?" Ally is frozen, staring at him in horror. "Austin, no!"

"We all know you are just desperate. Austin, please don't make this worse." The Sun Queen almost chastises him like a parent.

No matter what he had to do, he was going to protect her.

At the mercy of others, Ally would definitely die. But if it was him...he had a better chance.

"No, it was me." He avoids Ally's eyes now. " You said she was the only one that left during dinner? You forgot me. I left too. I killed Dez-Lord Dezmond."

Luccina shakes her head in disbelief. "That's nonsense. Why would you-"

"I poisoned him, _assassinated _him, because he was getting too powerful. His position as ambassador was making him too influential everywhere." The words pour out without much thought. The only thought he has is to have Ally survive.

"We will have to put you on trial." Luccina frowns at him. "She becomes innocent, but you become guilty."

He masks the elation of having saved Ally with indifference. He shrugs and holds his hands up in surrender. "So be it."

Ally is screaming and yelling at him as the guards that once held her goes to him instead. He doesn't dare look at her as he knows his facade will break if he does.

He lets himself be led out the door and down the hallway. Vaguely, he registers Ally following them down the stairs and to the dungeons. The guards allow it, probably feeling bad for the couple.

He's behind the bars when he asks the guards. "Can we have one last moment alone please?"

The guards glance at him, then at Ally who was standing not too far away. "Sure."

With the guards gone, Ally rushes to him. Her hands go through the bars to hold his. Half of her can sort of lean in as the bars are wide enough for that, but not wide enough for a whole body to escape.

"Take it back, say you were lying. Austin, I should be the one on the other side right now!" She says in a frenzy.

"Did you do it?"

"Well, no, but you could die. I can't have you choose my life over yours."

"Not as for sure if it were you in here. I have a better chance." He raises his hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. His voice is soft with affection. "Ally...there was no choice for me."

"What?"

"Even if I died for certain, there's no choice for me. If anyone or anything has you and was going to hurt you, there's no decision for me to make. I will always choose you." He tries to memorize the details of her now, gaze intense. There was no way she could be six feet under before him if he could help it.

Her breath hitches at his words. She's speechless. Even after his confession during the Trial, he had found ways to say and show he loved her. But this, what he said just now, rivaled nearly everything.

She fiercely kisses him for a lack of a better response. He presses back just as vehemently. Their hands are in each other's hair, the bars of the jail be damned, trying to pull themselves together as close as possible. This kiss is different from all the others. There's a desperation to this one. They know this could the last time they are together, and so they try to make the most of it. All the love they have for each other is poured into this kiss.

She leans her forehead against his when they finish. "Please tell me there's some way I can stop this."

He shakes his head minutely. The guards are already clanking back, and their time is running out. Their grip on each other tightens subconsciously.

"I love you." He whispers, pressing one last delicate kiss on the pulse of her wrist. He didn't care about where he was now, as long as that beat kept on going. Ally had to live.

"I love you." Ally says back as the guards try to separate them.

His fingers close around the cold metal bars when he can no longer hold her. The chill of them is biting, reminding him of his dire situation.

But as he looks at the crying, but _breathing _Ally, he knows has no regrets.

* * *

**Hope this chapter was worth the long wait haha. **

**11.27.15.**


	17. Chapter 17

Ally was knew that her safety was no longer guaranteed.

With Austin in jail and Luccina in power, anything could happen to her in the castle. So she kept to the shadows and sneakily made her way through the hallways.

The scrap of paper that Austin had discretely passed her was clutched tightly in her fist.

She hurried to pack some of her belongings once she slipped back into her chambers undetected. She got rid of the extravagant dress she was in into more of a normal person's dress. Ally gathered all the coins she had, and left through the window.

* * *

With the hood of her cloak up, she blended into the streets.

The crowds of people hiding her, she manages to arrive at the door of the address on the paper undetected. She had some time before people realized they were gone, but she wanted to be as safe as possible. It wasn't just her life on the line, after all, it was also Austin. Austin was counting on her to somehow set this right.

It looked like some residential building, tucked away among various shops and stalls. This was probably where one of the shopkeepers lived. It didn't look like it would help clear Austin's name, but it was the right address.

She knocked.

After a series bangs and crashes, the door swung open. A woman, not too far from Ally's age, was at the door. She was a bit shorter than Ally, with voluminous dark hair and a friendly expression.

"Hi?" She said hesitantly. "Can I help you?"

"Uh…" Ally hadn't thought of what to do at this point. She showed her Austin's slip of paper at a lack of ideas on what to do. "Austin-the king, I mean, sent me here."

"Oh!" The other woman's eyes lit up with recognition and she peered behind Ally. "Is he with you?"

News haven't spread yet, then. Ally sized her up again. If Austin gave her this address, then she could be trusted, right?

She took a deep breath and leaned in to speak in a whisper. "Austin's in prison for something he didn't do."

The dark haired woman's jaw dropped. "He's been framed?" She hissed, and then her features smoothed. Her eyes cautiously darted around the crowds behind Ally. "Come in."

Ally stepped in obediently. The other shut the door and locked it securely. She lead the princess down a maze of corridors and into a quiet room.

"I'm Patricia, by the way. Lady Patricia Maria De La Rosa. Used to be a House, long story...But you can call me Trish. It's easier." Trish rattled off as she shut and barred this door too. "And you?"

"Princess Allison, House Dawson." She replied automatically. "Ally's fine."

Trish whirled around at that. "You're the one with the singing and the rain?" She waved her hands around.

Ally smiled amusedly. Despite Trish being practically a stranger, she felt at ease with her. "Yes, I'm the one with the singing and the rain."

Trish waggled her brows. "And the title of future queen."

The princess snorted and then sobered. "Right. If Austin's still alive at the end. Can you help me do something...about it? I imagine Austin didn't get me here for nothing."

"I'm one of his safehouses." Trish shrugged. "I owe him a favor, and he trusts me, so I have this place ready for him or anyone else to lie low. Other than that? Sorry, I've got nothing. I'll help however I can, but as long as you're here, I can only really keep you safe."

Something must have shown on her face, because Trish patted her arm awkwardly.

"I'll set up a room for you. Don't worry, we'll figure something out. Come up with some ideas!" She hurried out the door.

Ally sighed in frustration, bringing her hands to her face. Her bracelet jangled and hit her cheek. She held out her wrist to inspect it.

"Stupid bracelet." She muttered. "Stupid Luccina. Stupid Xavier."

The bracelet didn't reply. As she looked at it this way and that, she noticed something. One of the scarlet jewels of the bracelet was missing.

She would have dismissed it if she didn't spot a smear of red on the silver clasp. Like liquid. Blood? No, it's too vibrant. The crystals were red, but crystals wouldn't melt, right? Unless…

Her fingers closed around one of the remaining crystals and tugged _hard_.

It snapped away from its clasp, but the movement betrayed its true contents. As Ally brought the jewel to her face, she saw how the red in it seemed to slosh around.

There was some kind of gel inside the crystal.

And she was certain it wasn't edible.

* * *

"Definitely not to help with sore joints." The wiry old man behind the counter sniffed the jewel's gel.

Ally and Trish exchanged a look.

"I'll have to run a couple tests to know exactly what it is, but it's foreign." He continued.

"How long would it take?" Ally asked.

He scrunched his face up in thought. "Tomorrow morning if I work at it."

"Thank you," said Trish, coming up to the man's counter and discretely sliding her hand across, "I trust that no one else will know of this?"

The old man's eyes widened at the amount of coins she slid over. "Of course."

"We'll see you tomorrow then." Trish waved.

"Did you bribe him?" Ally says in hushed surprise when they walk out of the pharmacy. The streets were thankfully still bustling, so the two didn't draw any unnecessary attention to themselves.

"Money keeps mouths shut." Trish responded without missing a beat. "Anyway, we're not sure about the bracelet. Are you certain it's who you think it is?"

"It's definitely Xavier." Ally grit her teeth. She knew her feeling about him was right from the beginning.

"It's no small thing, accusing a prince of murder. His mother is in charge of the kingdom right now too." Trish reminded her while unlocking the door. "You're going to have to have solid evidence, and even then…"

"What mother would willingly put her son on trial for murder?" Ally finished. She hung up her cloak on a hook.

"She threw her nephew into the dungeons. Look-"

Harsh knocking interrupted Trish's spiel.

"This is the King's Guard, open the door!" A man said on the other side.

They exchanged shocked looks. Trish pushed Ally towards the hallway silently. Her head whipped back and forth, searching for a hiding place.

"In here," Trish said just audibly. She opened a closet and nudged the princess in.

"We just need to ask some questions!" Another man of the King's Guard said.

"How did they find us?" Ally whispered, a cold sweat breaking out on her skin.

"You'll be fine, I promise." Trish slid the closet door shut, and bounded over to her door. "One minute, please!"

Ally backed into the corner of the closet. There was one slit of light where the two closet doors joined, and she was not taking any chances. It was a small closet, but she would take any distance she could place between herself and the searching guard.

She held her breath.

"...Haven't seen her, sorry."

"You wouldn't mind if we searched your house, then?"

* * *

**Merry Christmas!**

**12.24.15.**


End file.
